My Old Maid Keeps Dogs
by I'm on Indefinite Hiatus
Summary: Tenten refuses to let her friends give her a makeover. If she can find a date within the week, she's safe. But what if she finds love on her own? Or with some help from an unexpected source? Mainly NejixTenten, but final pairings are up to reviews.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 1

They say friends are people who can accept each other for who they are, no matter what they may be or how they ended up that way. If that's the case, I guess I have lots of friends. Every day, I'm constantly surrounded by people I'm forced to accept despite the way they are. I kept reminding myself this as I walked down the street with my old teammate and sensei.

"SO!" my old teacher, Might Gai, shouted at the top of his lungs, clapping his hands together with excessive enthusiasm. "What are we gonna eat for DINNER today, team!" He grinned, baring all of his teeth. My old teammate, Rock Lee, grinned back at him, his teeth also glistening.

"We must eat the most REJUVENATING, HEALTHFUL, most YOUTHFUL meal we can find!" he hollered, flailing his arms energetically. Some people around us stared in surprise and irritation. I visibly slouched a little, as if that would make our group's presence less noticeable. Well, as unnoticed as you can go…being with two full-grown men in tight green spandex suits. I sighed.

"Guys," I muttered. "Can we please just pick something?" Lee gasped in horror. Loudly.

"TENTEN!" he shouted. "It is Gai-sensei's birthday! Does that have NO sentimental meaning to you! We must find the PERFECT restaurant!" I rolled my eyes. Gai-sensei sniffled softly.

"Lee! The fact that my birthday has sentimental value to you is enough!" he gushed clamorously. His eyes sparkled.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee cried. Gai outstretched his arms.

"Lee! Aw, c'mere!" he yelled as they hugged.

"Gai-SENSEI!"

"Aw, LEE!" This exchange went on in the middle of the street for a while, the two "youthful" shinobi embracing each other tightly. Some people were pointing and snickering at us. I could feel myself reddening as I blew at my brown bangs in frustration.

"Hn," an equally annoyed voice said from behind us. I whipped around to identify its source. It was my other teammate, Neji. He had been so quiet; I had forgotten he had come with us. He had turned off to the side, away from us, with his arms crossed in front of him. His expression was almost as impassive as always, except a slight scowl was beginning to form on his perfect lips.

The truth is…that I actually used to have a small, trivial crush on Neji. Of course, it was when I was a teenager. It lasted from when I was almost thirteen to when I was barely eighteen. That was when I grew up a little and realized it was pointless to like Neji. He's Neji Hyuga. I'm the last girl in the world he would ever even consider seeing in a romantic way.

Now, I'm turning twenty-one soon. I had always been extremely cautious, liking him secretly. I didn't dare tell him. So he never knew. But I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT bitter about it. I mean, if I had never liked him…I would have probably ended up crushing on Lee…the thought gives me mental shudders…

Anyways, Neji was the boy I had foolishly wasted my entire adolescence liking. He had been so good-looking then…

Now, he was just preposterously attractive. All of his features were refined and flawless. It was all so symmetrical and angular and terribly sexy. His long, dark, lustrous hair framed his beautiful face, contrasting perfectly with his pale and creamy skin. His eyes bore the signature pupil-less quality belonging to Byakugan users. His had a soft mauve glow.

I blinked briskly a few times to tear myself away from my paltry reverie. I had been staring at him with my mouth slightly open. My own idiocy disgusted me sometimes. Shaking my head at my stupidity, I glanced back.

Lee and Gai were still being "youthful." The yucky scene made me want to wince. Nevertheless, I managed to smile as I turned and addressed Neji.

"Sorry, Neji," I said to him, attempting to fix another uncomfortable situation Lee and Gai had created. They were yelling passionately now. I tried to laugh as if amused, but it ended up sounding nervous anyways. "Ha…It's like we're all still kids…you know, the weather-"

"Tenten," he cut me off sternly. His voice was so cold, I swear I could feel my ears sting as if frostbitten. "Why are you apologizing for their offensive behavior?"

"I just thought it wou-"

"Neji! Tenten!" Lee suddenly shouted from behind us. He and Gai grinned at us, their sentimental moment seemingly over. "In celebration of Gai-sensei's birthday, we're going to run a quick thirty-four laps around Konoha before eating!"

"I think I'll pass," I replied, amused by their familiar antics. "But happy birthday, sensei."

"I will greatly CHERISH your beautiful and youthful gift, Tenten," Gai declared. We glanced at Neji, who had finally decided to turn in our direction. He looked reluctant to speak for a moment, but eventually did when I shot him a really vicious, importune look.

"Yes, best wishes regarding your birthday, sensei. However, I also won't be participating in the laps with you and Lee."

"And that is OK, Neji!" Gai exclaimed. Lee beamed, his teeth shimmering uncannily again.

"This is a great chance for me to train while Neji does not…and surpass him once and for all!"

Neji seemed to smirk a little. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Okay, then…Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm just gonna go eat and get home." Gai gave me a thumbs-up sign.

"That sounds lovely, Tenten, our youthful flower! A little rest and some beauty sleep would do WONDERS for yo-" he stopped abruptly when I gave him an insinuating glare. He chuckled tensely. "Not that anything's un-youthful about you now, of course!"

I sighed, somewhat irked. "Bye, sensei. Bye guys."

"I expect to see you all tomorrow morning at nine," Neji declared shrewdly. Gai and Lee grinned and waved before taking off on their laps. I turned to leave, when Neji spoke.

"Tenten, we might as well dine together," he said bluntly. I turned back around as he continued. "We reside in the same direction and we both obviously have not eaten."

This wouldn't be the first time Neji and I had eaten together. I mentally chastised myself for being excited by his offer. _Besides, we usually ate lunch with Lee every day after training…well…Lee's not here this time…and this is the first time eating __dinner__ with him…before it had always been lunch…_

"Sure," I replied without thinking. _Shit_, I thought. "So…where should we eat?"

He pointed to a really fancy-looking restaurant across the street. I recognized it as one of the most extravagant (and expensive) restaurants in town. "There? But that place is-"

"Decent," he finished for me. He was already heading toward the entrance. I hurried behind him, struggling to keep up with his impatient pace.

"Dammit…" I mumbled. "Hey wait! I don't know if I can pay f-"

"I've been here before with a few of my newer colleagues. The soufflés are notable."

"NEJII!" I yelled as we approached the door. "I can barely afford some damned dumplings, let alone soufflés!" He appeared unfazed.

"Hn." And that was final. We entered the fancy restaurant. The hostess greeted us immediately, as soon as she spotted Neji, although there were several other people waiting since before we had arrived. I sulked behind my old teammate as the hostess scurried over to us.

"Good afternoon, sir!" she greeted. Suddenly she saw me as well. "And lady! Seats for two?"

"Yes. Private room," Neji answered before I could give any input. She nodded, noting his dignified demeanor.

"Right away," she replied. She led us to a quieter, secluded section of the restaurant. She opened the gilded double doors for us and we walked into a perturbingly lavish room with giant, colorful flowers everywhere. An ornate crystal chandelier was suspended from the high ceiling. The table was preset for two, with a small, floral centerpiece.

The lady handed us menus after we were seated. I winced at the grandeur of it all.

"Um…how much does this private room cost?" I asked her, my voice cracking a little at the end. She smiled.

"Our private rooms only cost $30 per person. And an additional $50 for groups less than five people," she answered. I almost choked on nothing as she left, shutting the door behind her. I glared at Neji.

"That's more than enough money to buy three large bowls of ramen for both of us at Ichiraku's! Are you listening to me!"

He wasn't. He was staring stoically at his menu.

"Just choose something, Tenten," he commanded. I scowled as I skimmed through my menu. It was ninety-five percent French and five percent decipherable.

"Damn. I don't even know what these are!"

"They're food items. And they have descriptions as well as pict-"

"I know that!" I snapped. "I mean I've never had any of this stuff before! And what is THIS!" I asked, pointing to a picture of an especially peculiar-looking dish. I showed him eagerly.

"You wouldn't enjoy that, Tenten."

"How would YOU know!" I asserted. He seemed amused.

"Brains of a young cow, with a strong, pungent sauce-"

"Okay, you were right." _Smartass…_

After a minute or so, a waitress entered the room. She was a pretty girl, maybe in her early twenties, like me and Neji. She had long, wavy blond hair and was at least 5'8". When she saw Neji, she smiled brightly, practically skipping over to us. She skipped well, considering the fact that she was wearing ridiculously strappy heels. With the heels on, she was at least 6'0".

"And what would you like to order, sir?" she asked chirpily. Her voice was all high-pitched and sweet. _Almost sweet enough to rot my damn teeth_, I thought. I heard a small, intrusive voice in my head whisper, "JEALOUS", so I mentally smacked it.

_I'm NOT jealous! I just don't like girls like HER_, I retorted. The voice snorted mockingly. Neji ordered, not bothering to look at the waitress.

"And what about you?" she asked me. I shook my deranged thoughts out of my head and ordered. I told her the number corresponding with my order instead of the name because I couldn't really pronounce it. She smiled. "You're a lucky girl. I'm kind of jealous…"

What? _She_ was jealous?

"Ummm…thank you…?" I responded awkwardly, puzzled by the unexpected comment. She giggled in a bimbo-tastic way.

"I mean your boyfriend. He's very good-looking."

I blinked. Boyfriend? There was no one here but us three. Behind his calm exterior, I sensed discomfort from Neji. He stared at me intently, as if waiting for me to speak. Then, realization struck me. I laughed wildly at the waitress, who was busy scribbling everything down.

"Oh! This guy? No, he's just my comrade! My boyfriend! Ha! Wow, really had me for a second there!" I joked. She gave me a silly, obscurely haughty expression. She finished writing and addressed Neji, smiling a bit too flirtatiously for my liking.

"Well, if that's what it is," she said, handing him a card. "You should come see me more. Half-off your next private room. Ask for Mei." She winked coquettishly before exiting. Neji seemed unaffected. I snorted in disdain. He raised a brow.

"Why does this happen every time!" I grumbled. For some reason, he smirked smugly. "What?" I snarled sharply.

"You seem quite jealous."

My eyes widened as I looked up from the table space in front of me. I had been playing with my fork and knife. When he spoke, I dropped the fork. _He had to be joking, but wait…What the hell! Neji doesn't JOKE…_

I scoffed with another snort. "No! Why would I be jealous of some ditzy waitress who can't walk without looking like she has corns on her feet!"

"You seem extremely jealous."

"WHAT! I'M NOT JEALOUS!" I roared. "All of these airhead girls either have bad taste or bad eyesight if they think YOU'RE attractive!"

I realized I was using the knife to draw invisible gestures supporting my argument in the air. I quickly lowered it.

He furrowed his brow in what looked like bemusement. That pissed me off. I blinked. He actually looked ridiculously good right now. His perfect face looked even better in the soft, dim chandelier-lighting. He was tall, with a fairly muscled build. Silky hair cascaded gracefully down his back; the traditional Hyuga Clan style. The lighting really highlighted the beautifully stark way his fair complexion looked against the dark stray locks that bordered his face.

Even his voice was freaking gorgeous. It was deep and rich; it kind of made me want to try phone sex. And worst of all, it looked as if he was aware of all this. He was smirking, again, as if he knew that I knew this too. I put on the most annoyed expression I could possibly accomplish.

"Oh, shut up!" I barked. He tilted his head very slightly with a vague sneer. "What?" I asked sourly.

"I never said anything," he pointed out, still sneering. I blinked. I had just proven my own guiltiness…

Before I could say anything, he returned to his serious persona. "Tenten, I was just joking. I never suspected you were truly jealous."

"Wow…you making a joke…that's a fresh concept," I remarked derisively.

"Hn."

* * *

After the meal, which I have to admit was actually really delicious, I experienced severe trauma upon seeing the hefty check.

Before I could break myself out of speechlessness, he payed for the entire thing, private room and all. My jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What are you doing!" I asked angrily.

"Paying."

"Why are you paying for me! I can do it mysel-"

"No. Actually you can't," he pointed out. He was right. "Tenten, don't let your pride interfere with letting other people help you."

He started to leave, and I just stood there for a moment, utterly shocked at what he had just said. Then, I recovered and chased after him.

"Umm…thanks…I guess I'll pay you back next t-"

"Don't."

"Neji, I can p-"

"Just consider it my treat."

"Neji, I can't consider it a treat."

"And why would that be?"

"Nobody, not even friends, just casually gives $580 treats."

"Hn." _Apparently, he's an exception…_

We walked the way to my house, my stinginess about him paying for me occasionally seeping into the conversation. Actually, it seeped out more often than not.

When we reached my house, I grudgingly said bye to him. He responded with one of his "hn" replies.

"You can go now," I said, trying to sound as aloof as possible.

"It would be improper to leave without seeing that you go inside safely," he insisted. _Formal as always…_

"I think I'll be fine withou-"

"Tenten, just go inside."

* * *

I sulked, but submissively headed toward my porch. Just as I unlocked my door and pulled it agape, I felt his presence disappear. But I obediently went inside, as I suspected he could still be watching with Byakugan.

As soon as I stepped inside and shut the door, the lights unexpectedly turned on of their own accord. Instantly, I instinctively pulled a kunai out, assuming a defensive position. But I straightened when I heard laughter.

"Geez, Tennie! It's just us!" I heard Ino's voice say. As if on cue, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata stepped out from their various hiding places around my apartment. I looked around. My small, rather cramped, apartment was decorated with colorful crepe paper streamers. A small cake was sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Guys…what are you doing here? And HOW did you get in here!" I asked, slightly unnerved.

"We came to celebrate you and Hinata becoming jounin!" Sakura exclaimed, grinning. Hinata shuffled her feet.

"Um…s-sorry about breaking into your house, Tenten-chan…" Hinata had matured a lot since we were younger. She stuttered a lot less now, and was more self-assured. Well, except sometimes…especially around Naruto.

"We didn't break in!" Ino claimed. "She gave me her house key!"

"Ino, that was for emergencies…" I reminded.

"Well I felt that this was pretty darn important!" she replied. "So we're going to celebrate and have a sleepover tonight!"

"Guys, I'm sort of tired…and I just got back fr-" I was about to give an excuse, but Ino interrupted.

"Great! I thought this might happen so Sakura and I made juice!"

Before I could object, Ino took a glass of yellowish-orange juice and forced it to my lips. I involuntarily drank it. As she pulled the glass away, I coughed.

"What the hell was that!" I yelled. I licked my lips. "Hey, that actually tasted really refreshing…what was that?"

"It's a juice medical-nin give tired or exhausted ninja. We only gave you a third of the dose so it should keep you up for the next four, maybe five hours or so…"

I gave her a "you're really crazy" look, but then I laughed.

"You guys are the worst," I joked. We all laughed. Then, Sakura abruptly stopped.

"Hey, we were watching you come in, you know…"

"Yeah…that's pretty creepy…so…?" I inquired. Ino gasped.

"Right! How could I forget! You came with Neji! Oh my god, what happened!"

"We were out celebrating Gai's birthda-"

"Then why were you alone with Neji!" Sakura asked pryingly.

"Well…Gai and Lee went off on their own so Neji and I ate togeth-"

"WHAT!" they both shrieked in unison. Even Hinata looked curious. I sighed in exasperation. This happened way too frequently.

"Nothing happened! I told you, I'm over Neji! I've been over him for several years now…"

"Suuuuure…" Ino said sarcastically. "So what was it like?"

"I don't know…we just ate at that horribly expensive new French restaurant…"

"La Maisonette!" she asked. I nodded.

"Yup, that sounds about right…"

"Oh. My. God. That's been voted Konoha's number one date venue in this month's issue of Kunoichi Miss Magazine!"

"It wasn't a date!" I argued.

"Pfft! How would you know, silly! You've never been on a da-" Ino began.

"Did he pay?" Sakura asked curiously. I sighed. _Why, Life? Why do you hate me?_

"Well…yeah…but it was just because I-"

"Then even if it wasn't a date, it must have felt that way…" Ino whispered. Sakura elbowed her. "Ow!"

"Tenten. You need to get things straight," Sakura stated. Ino nodded.

"You keep denying the fact that you still like Neji!" she yelled. I frowned.

"Look, I'm over it! I've been over it for so long…I can't even remember wha…" I trailed off as they stared at me incredulously. Even Hinata was giving me a skeptical look. I sighed again.

"Okay. Fine. I still like him. There. Are you guys satisfied?"

"Yes," Ino answered, although the question had obviously been rhetorical. I exhaled miserably.

"Tenten…" Hinata said sympathetically.

"Look," Ino said straightforwardly. "You've got to choose. Are you going to keep dwelling on Neji? Or do you want to move on? Either way, you know we'll be there for you. We just don't want to see you all upset over a guy! It's not like you!"

"T-Tenten…I th-think Ino's right…Neji-niisan is very…complicated…" Hinata said quietly. Sakura nodded. I looked at them unwillingly.

"If it was that easy to move on, I would've already done so. But it's not."

"That man is going to get some serious 'destiny' when karma comes and bites him in the ass for breaking your heart! What a jerk! No offense, Hinata," Ino said. Hinata just nodded solemnly.

"He didn't 'break my heart'," I whined at the corniness of the phrase. "I never even confessed anything. He has no idea."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I know! But I just can't stand it! You're too innocent, Tenten! It's like you're just totally clueless when it comes to love!" Ino shouted. Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, I hate to say it…but Ino-pig's actually right for once. I mean…Tsunade's never assigned you for a seduction mission…"

"I'm just not good at it…you guys know that."

"And you're socially awkward, you don't do your hair right or wear makeup, you're obsessed with weapons, eat like a guy, don't act cute or girly, you even walk like-"

"Ummm…I…I think what Ino-chan's trying to say…is that maybe if you put a tiny b-bit of more effort into that de-department of your life…it would benefit you…?" Hinata said uncertainly. I knew this was the nicest possible way of saying, "Tenten, start acting like a girl!" but it still felt offensive.

"Guys, I'm fine! I'm a ninja! I kick bad-guy ass and use weapons! That's-"

"No!" Ino screeched. "YOU are a KUNOICHI! That's a _female _ninja, Tenten. The kunoichi is charming and graceful! She is seductive and witty as well as talented and dangerous! YOU ARE NOT FINE!"

"Well…I'm just not…I don't…"

"Tenten. I know deep down…okay really deep down…you're really pretty. And you're clever and skilled and it's not acceptable that men can't see that because of the hideous way you present yourself!"

"Ha! Men can see that! Gai-sensei says I'm extremely talented!"

"Not that kind of 'men', Tenten," Sakura said. She looked at me knowingly.

"When was the last time you went on a date?" Ino asked nosily.

"I have! It was…ummm…okay, actually…never, but "

"And when was the last time you kissed a guy?"

"Never. Hey! You guys already know I've never kissed a guy!" Ino shook her head, clicking her tongue disapprovingly.

"I've made up my mind," Ino declared. I gulped…this was bad. "We're giving you a makeover and we're going to teach you how to flirt." Sakura's face lit up in glee and Hinata smiled.

I gasped in horror. "No! Absolutely not! You guys do NOT have the…the…the correct qualifications to do that!"

Ino smirked. "Tenten…we all have boyfriends…and Sakura and I are one of Konoha's top ten seduction kunoichi. And you know Hinata would be too if she wasn't so shy. I think we're extremely qualified to "

"I don't want to seduce anyone! That's so…"

"Dirty?" Ino asked with a pout. "It's not _dirty_ unless it's an A-rank seduction mission. B-ranks don't _do_ anything with the enemy. Nobody goes on those except those super skilled kunoichi! And besides…we're not asking you to seduce…we're teaching you to flirt!"

"Yes! This will be good for you, Tenten! Think about it!" Sakura encouraged. I brooded.

"No way. I will most definitely not."

Ino frowned. Then, a mischievous smile crept onto her lips. I braced myself for the trouble that was sure to ensue.

"Fine. We won't do it if…" she paused for dramatic effect. "…If you can find a date by the end of this week."

I blinked. Okay, I didn't see _that _coming. "WHAT?"

"Yep. That's right," she said content with herself. I widened my eyes for a second. My pride was swelling inside my head, threatening to burst out. I recollected my composure, or more like what I had left of it, before replying boldly.

"I can do that! Who says I can't do that!" I challenged. As soon as it left my mouth, I regretted the statement.

"Oooh…sounds like another bet," Sakura said. Hinata suddenly looked really uncomfortable.

"It's a bet then!" Ino declared confidently. "If we win, we get to do the makeover!"

I tried to sound equally confident. "Fine! But if I win, I get to do whatever I want."

"Deal," Ino said. "Oh, and to make this a little more interesting, the loser has to do one favor for the winner."

I bit my lip. "Fine," I agreed. Sakura grinned.

"I'm on Ino's side!" Sakura exclaimed. "Sorry, Tenten, but I seriously like this makeover idea!" I pouted.

"Traitor," I teased. We laughed. Then, we all fell silent. We all stared intently at Hinata. She fidgeted uneasily.

"Ummm…I…I…guess it's only fair th-that I side with Tenten…" Hinata said timidly. She looked a little faint. I patted her back.

"Thanks, Hinata." I said. She smiled, but couldn't help looking unconvinced.

"Good luck," Ino mocked. "I really hope we win!"

"Hell yeah!" Sakura squealed. "This will be so helpful to Tenten!"

"Yeah right! I won't let you guys win!" I joked. Ino took out a bottle of champagne, filling four glasses.

"To Tenten and Hinata! And to the fun-filled week ahead of us!" she toasted.

For the rest of the night, we watched a romantic little chick-flick movie that all three of them cried during. Honestly, I detested it. The heroine of the story was so stupid. How could she fall in love with such an irrational jerk? So unbelievably stupid…

At the end of the long night, while the others were asleep, I laid awake. That weird juice they gave me was probably to blame. Insecurity tiptoed into my mind as I wondered whether I could really win the bet. Actually, I most likely couldn't win this type of battle; we were fighting in Ino's terrain. I sighed one last time that night, before I suddenly felt a weird weariness overwhelm my body. I promptly fell asleep as the juice's effect wore off.

* * *

**This is my first official story...ever. So please comment...harsh criticism is definitely welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all of the people who read this and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed. Your comments were very encouraging…

Unfortunately I'm new to this, so things will be kind of rocky for a while. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 2

"Ngh," I muttered, stirring from my sleep. My fingers felt odd and soggy; something was licking my hand…

My eyes shot open in alarm as I quickly sat up. A giant dog had been slobbering over my arm. I made a face as I wiped the offensive goo off. Straining my eyes against the sudden bright light of day, I took a better look at the beast. It was strangely familiar…

"Wait…Akamaru!" I asked no one in particular. The dog barked, as if confirming his identity. It definitely was Akamaru. "Akamaru, what are you doing here?"

Where exactly was "here"?

I searched my environs carefully, trying to assess where the heck I was. I couldn't come to any correct conclusions. From what I could tell, I was alone and completely surrounded by a vast expanse of emerald meadow. The sky was inconceivably clear and blue. I inhaled strongly. The air was remarkably fresh and sweet. This place was incredible. Dumbstruck, I stared in awe for a moment as Akamaru panted quietly beside me.

Then, reality socked me in the gut. Memories from the previous night flooded into my wits. Instantaneously, I pulled an emergency scroll out and summoned one of my favorite maces, crouching low in a defensive stance. _This has to be a genjutsu_, I thought, my senses slowly recovering from the hazy effects of sleep and a night of champagne and white wine.

Just then, I heard someone calling for Akamaru. They were coming closer. I noticed a figure approaching us, but couldn't distinguish who it was because a long line of trees hid the mysterious figure's face in shadows. The presumably male individual continued to draw closer, calling for Akamaru.

I was just about to discover who he was, when I felt something jab at my shoulder. I looked down at it; nothing was there. Subsequently, I heard someone call my own name. I hastily whipped my gaze back to the mystery figure to see-

-Hinata…?

"Ummm…Tenten-chan…good morning…I-Ino told me to wake you," she said bashfully. I blinked. I was in my apartment, resting on my couch. Daylight was shining peevishly through the windows. It had been a dream. All of a sudden, I felt my head pounding and my stomach growled ferociously. I groaned.

"Yuck. It's morning," I mumbled. It sounded only partially coherent. I knew because Hinata was giving me a funny look. Suddenly, a blur of pink and purple commotion paraded into the room.

"GOOD MORNING, TENNIE!" Ino shrieked. I grimaced for two reasons: the unnecessarily loud noise, and the cheesiness of the nickname. They laughed at my evident displeasure.

"You never were a morning person," Sakura joked brightly. I frowned, rubbing my temples.

"Nope. And I especially hate hangover mornings."

"Actually, it's more of a hangover afternoon," Ino remarked. It took a while for my muddled, throbbing mind to process the words. I glanced groggily at the digital clock across the room and entered a state of panic.

"Holy crap!" I yelled. "WHY IS IT A QUARTER AFTER **FOUR**! I was supposed to meet Lee and Neji for training at nine!"

Ino smiled innocently. Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably, playing with her fingers.

"W-well, usually…after a ninja drinks the juice from y-yesterday…they tend to sleep for a few days or so…"

"You only had a third of the regular dose, so you slept for a good fifteen hours or so." Ino explained nonchalantly.

"YOU GUYS DID WH-wait!" I bellowed, stopping mid-sentence. "You guys are still here…Why are you still here?"

"Actually we got our nails done and then went grocery shopping - did you know you only had Chinese cabbage and ice cream left in your kitchen? Anyways, we came back and made some of Tsunade's special hangover soup for you," Sakura said. Ino chuckled darkly.

"Yeah, we figured you'd need it…that juice seems to cause its drinkers to experience hangovers after they wake up…and since you had some drinks in addition to that, we guessed-" She stopped when I abruptly doubled over. I felt sick. Something ominous was surfacing…

"Oh no, it l-looks like she's going to-" Hinata began, but I never heard her finish. I bolted out of the room and into my bathroom, not bothering to close the door after me. I threw up heavily. I heard my friends come in as I finished retching. I flushed the vile contents down and leaned weakly against the wall, breathing hard. They looked deeply concerned. I actually felt a lot better, but an impish idea got the best of me.

I dramatically stumbled a few feet past them, into the hall. I felt them watching me, worried. Suddenly, I "collapsed." I heard Hinata gasp. They hurried over to me.

"Tenten! What's wrong!" Sakura cried. I made my voice sound breathy, and clutched my throat.

"I…I feel…numb…I can't f-feel my legs, I-" I stopped and went limp, shutting my eyes. I felt Ino shaking me. Her voice sounded hysterical.

"Tenten! Tenten, I'm sorry! No! Don't die, Ten-"

"HA!" I shouted suddenly, springing back up. They all jerked backwards and Hinata screamed in fright. I burst into laughter. They looked bewildered for a second, but then Sakura pouted.

"Tenten! That was cruel! You really scared us!" she complained. I grinned.

"Yeah, and drugging your friend to party at her house isn't cruel at all, is it?" I taunted. Hinata blushed. Ino rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"Whatever…come on! Let's get you some soup."

As soon as I swallowed the soup, I felt my headache evaporating. I sat at the undersized table in my living room with a bowl of the magical soup in front of me.

"Wow! This stuff really works!" I exclaimed to my friends, who were randomly seated on varying degrees of furniture scattered about the room. They smiled proudly at the praise.

"The Fifth Hokage designed it herself," Sakura informed, flipping her bright pink hair complacently.

"I…I heard it's like magic…" Hinata said softly.

"It sure as hell is!" I agreed, slurping it down. Ino cringed.

"Well, I guess that's to be expected," she chattered. I nodded.

"Yeah…I mean she isn't the Hokage for no reason,"

"Nah…it's probably because she drinks so much sake…" Ino prattled. We laughed. As we gradually settled down, I remembered last night's bet.

"Hey…about the bet…" I mentioned. "How are you guys gonna know whether I really got a date or not?" We pondered this for a briefly before Ino spoke up.

"Hmmm…I guess the only way to be sure is to spy on you during the date," she said with a sly wink. The others giggled in concurrence. I sighed.

"Fine," I affirmed. "But you guys can't get caught or interact with us during the date."

They nodded, satisfied with the terms. I finished guzzling the soup. Ino was giving me an astute look. _Wow, very lady-like, Tenten. I can't even have soup in an attractive way. How the hell am I going to get a date by this Saturday!_

* * *

By the time five o' clock rolled around, Sakura and Ino had to leave for an unforeseen, last-minute medical ninja session. Hinata decided to stay for a while longer. After Ino and Sakura left, Hinata and I started forming our battle plan.

"So…" I began, not knowing where to start. "Okay, I think we both know that we have the more difficult of the two ordeals in this bet…But I'm glad I can count on you, Hinata!"

Hinata smiled feebly. "You're actually n-not that bad, Tenten…maybe if you just…just, um…put more e-effort into…" She trailed off, not knowing how to make it sound better than it was.

"Yeah…I know…I need help," I finally admitted. "But I don't want to be assaulted and…dolled up…by Sakura and Ino. That just sounds miserable…I don't know…Okay, first thing's first! What are we going to do about the problem at hand?"

"D-do you mean finding you a date?"

"Yeah. How does that work? Do I have to arrange a meeting with them ahead of time…or would that meeting count as the date? Do I have to officially announce to the other that it's a date? Or will he just assu-"

"T-Tenten, I think you're over-thinking it…"

"Oh…well…I guess so," I said rather gawkily. "Sorry, Hinata. I'm just not really familiar with this whole…dating…thing…"

"Y-yes…I see," she acknowledged. I looked at the floor in shame. "Tenten, I think we should start with knowing…what s-sort of guy you would be okay going on a date with…?"

My ears perked up at the suggestion and I looked at her admiringly.

"Right!" I exclaimed. "Hinata, you're a genius! It doesn't matter what kind of guy it is…it just has to be a date…"

"Ummm…I'm not sure what you m-mean…?"

"I hate to say this, Hinata…but…I think I'm going to need to hire someone to do this…"

"You mean you're g-going to stage a f-fake date?"

"Exactly," I confirmed. "And after that, Ino won't bother me anymore, and I won't look entirely like a lost cause!"

Hinata blinked. "But Tenten-chan…w-where are you going to find a f-fake date?"

"There's always someone who _needs_ something, Hinata. And I'm basically broke so I might not be able to offer money…but I'll think of something."

Just then, Hinata's phone went off. She checked it to find a new text message. After promptly reading it, she put her phone away. I raised a brow.

"Do you have to go?"

"W-well…it was Kiba…and he wanted to kn-know if I could watch Akamaru for a bit…right now…w-while he goes to see a house…"

"'See a house'?"

"Um…Kiba has been having trouble searching for a new h-house these days…"

"Doesn't he live with his family?"

"W-well…yes…but they have had…an occurrence…recently…and he might n-need to temporarily stay somewhere e-else…"

"Oh," I said, realizing it must be personal. "Well, it sounds pretty important. You should go watch the dog for him."

"Okay," she said. She smiled and waved politely before picking up her coat and boots. We walked to the door.

"Bye, Hinata. We'll have to discuss this stuff later."

"Ye-yeah," she concurred. She stepped outside and was about to leave, when she turned back around to face me. "Ummm…Tenten…maybe y-you…you should c-consider…ummm…"

I grinned. "It's alright, Hinata, go ahead if you have any good ideas-"

"Kiba!" she blurted. I blinked. _Huh?_

"Kiba? What about Kiba? Aren't you going to watch hi-"

"H-he needs a place t-to stay for a l-little while…and you guys s-sort of know each other…"

I furrowed my brow to some extent as I pieced together what she was trying to suggest. _So…Kiba…as a fake date…for the bet…?_

Hinata was watching me carefully, probably mentally preparing herself for my worst possible reaction. Surprisingly, I wasn't annoyed at all. I was actually tremendously amused by the comical notion. I broke into irrepressible chortles of laughter. Hinata looked confused.

"Sorry, Hinata! But Dog-boy!" I asked between chuckles. "I haven't talked to him in years!"

"Well…he is a guy…and he d-does need something…"

I laughed again. "I suppose he does fit the criteria…but it's just so…funny!"

Hinata giggled. "Well…I guess it is pretty funny. I mean…e-even I can't imagine you two on a date! That would be a disaster…"

I tilted my head slightly, somewhat bewildered. "Disaster?"

She nodded, still grinning with her cheeks flushed from the cold January air and the wild fit of laughter. "You two are just…v-very different…"

I grinned. "Yeah."

She waved again before leaving, turning right to pick up Akamaru before heading left down the street to the Hyuga Compound. I went inside and quietly shut the door.

Different? What exactly was that supposed to mean? I didn't take Hinata's comment offensively…but it did make me wonder what it could really mean.

The last time I had really seen Dog-boy was when we were still teens. Of course I had occasionally seen him around Konoha by chance, but the last time I really ever talked to him was during a mission…and that was when we were sixteen. I can clearly remember being pestered by him then. He had liked to poke fun at my supposed clumsiness and "panda-ears."

I had never thought lowly of him…although I had never really known him very well. I had always thought of him as a more immature spirit. Like I said, he had always made jokes about my hair; apparently the buns make me look like a panda. I guess we were technically friends, since he was part of the Konoha 11...plus Sasuke. Kiba hadn't ever really crossed my mind for a while…not since Sasuke returned to the village. That was when we were both on jury duty for Sasuke's trial with the council. We had both voted for Sasuke to perform 1,800 hours of community service, go under house arrest for a year, and be accepted back into Konoha. Unfortunately, the volunteer work and house arrest didn't really change him. He's still an egotistical jerk. I don't understand what Sakura, as well as the rest of the female population in general, sees in him.

Anyways, my mind wandered through these kinds of old, nostalgic thoughts as I shrugged a coat on and packed my weapons to go train for a bit. I felt a great need to train, especially because I had missed training this morning, and omitted training on Saturdays. In short, I hadn't trained in two days and I felt lethargic.

I precariously stepped outside onto my porch. There was some snow covering the ground, and it looked treacherously slippery. With my agility without chakra, I was destined to slip and fall on anything even barely slick. I warily made my way off my porch steps, clutching the new scrolls I had acquired from Gai last week. I hadn't been able to try them yet, and I was excited to try them out. They were ancient and one of a kind. Gai had received them ten years ago from an old priest in the Land of Pillars. According to Gai, the priest had died soon after presenting the scrolls and the technique for producing them had been lost. Basically, these scrolls were irreplaceable.

I cautiously paced a few footsteps onto the icy street, admiring the scrolls in my hand.

That's when fate decided to laugh at me.

Out of nowhere, so sudden that I couldn't register what was going on before it was too late, a giant dog came sprinting down the street down the street from my right. My mouth opened in a soundless yelp. Without warning, it crashed into me and ended up tackling me to the ground. Its paws had made me lose my already unstable footing. I groaned as it removed the scrolls from my grasp with its mouth, drooling over my hand. I scowled as I sat up, but my expression went blank as I realized exactly what dog this was.

"A…Akamaru!" I asked in a dazed voice. Didn't this already happen somewhere?

I was trying to pinpoint when and where this extraordinary déjà vu originated from, when I heard a voice calling for Akamaru. They were coming down the street from the same direction in which Akamaru had arrived. I scrutinized the unknown figure advancing toward us, but couldn't identify who it was because it was dark, and the lampposts lining the street were spaced too far. The figure proceeded to walk closer and closer, calling for Akamaru.

I was still sitting on my rear end in the middle of the street, my eyes widened in disorientation. I glanced at Akamaru, who still had the precious scrolls hanging out of his damp mouth. I glared at him and he seemed to whimper a little. The scrolls were not only clammy, but torn in numerous areas beneath the dog's jagged teeth. They were ruined. Fury simmered through my body, heating me despite the cold winter weather.

The figure came hurrying toward us, and I finally saw his face as he ambled under the light of the nearest lamppost. My anger rose steadily with each step closer he came. Soon, he was directly in front of me.

"Oh, hey, Tenten, I haven't seen you in a lo-"

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT _**THIS**_!" I yelled furiously at the villain, gesturing violently to the dripping scrolls in Akamaru's mouth. Kiba flinched a little at my bloodcurdling volume.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said in a tone I found far from consoling. "Akamaru's been having some salivary problems these days-"

"Why the hell isn't your damned mutt on a leash!"

His eyes narrowed, chilling me. They were rather animal-like normally, and the spiteful glowering enhanced the unsettling quality in a very distressing way. But that didn't alleviate my rage at all.

"Akamaru's not a mutt! He's the finest dog I-"

"I don't care! Look at my scrolls!" I screamed, an equally intimidating look filling my eyes.

"Look, I'll pay for the replacements but-"

"Replacements!" I asked irately. "There won't be any because the priest DIED!"

He stared at me like I had three eyes. I realized how bizarre I had just sounded and shook my head in exasperation before explaining acrimoniously.

"I mean, that those scrolls that your dog just destroyed are irreplaceable! They're one-of-kind and aren't produced anymore!"

"Then what do you want me to do about it!"

"I want you to bring that priest back to life, make him produce these scrolls again and keep your dog on a damned leash, you dimwit!"

"Okay, that was just rude! You need to start watching what you say! No wonder you're single!"

My mouth fell open a little at that statement. Did he just say_ I_ was rude?

"I'm single of my own accord, you son-of-"

At that moment, Akamaru barked raucously, drowning out the rest of my insult. He dropped my tattered and mushy scrolls, and then rolled onto the ground, whimpering madly. Kiba's fierce look vanished and changed to a look of dread as he saw Akamaru wail.

"Yeah, I'd love to stay here and argue with you, but I better take Akamaru to the vet-"

"Not so fast!" I snapped as he dropped to his knees and guided his massive dog onto his back. "Your number."

"What about it?" he asked, just as harshly.

"Give it to me so I can call you and meet. You _will_ defray for my scrolls, jerk."

He shot me a look of revulsion before standing up, piggy-backing his dog. "Fine, but I'm getting yours, too."

"Wh-"

"So you don't con me, you witch."

I glared at him before we exchanged phones. After we both entered our numbers into the other's phone and gave each back to its respective owner, he turned to leave. I quickly went to the camera function on my phone. "Wait!" I spat at him. He turned around.

Before he could shield himself, I snapped a picture. When I checked to see the quality of the photo, I found it was clear, but pursed my lips in disdain anyways.

"What the hell was that for?"

"So if you don't settle this peacefully and pay me back, I can report you to the Konoha Weapons Police!"

He snorted in contempt and turned on his heel. Then, he sped away with Akamaru bleating gloomily on his back. I frowned empathetically for Akamaru, although he had damaged the scrolls. I didn't mean to keep him from proper veterinarian care…I just got really fed up with Kiba's incompetence.

I picked my frayed scrolls up carefully; making sure a minimal amount of slobber touched me. I decided to abandon any hope of training tonight and went back inside. As soon as I was inside, I flung the useless scrolls into the nearest trash can and washed my hands vigorously. When I mopped my hands dry with a clean towel, I realized the source of my déjà vu. It was the dream from earlier today.

I also became aware of an unusual coincidence; Hinata and I were talking about Kiba just before that entire impropriety happened. _He was probably picking Akamaru up from Hinata's_, I realized.

I shrugged my coat off and hung it up. Stretching wearily, I toppled onto my frail, old bed. I took out my phone, and found Kiba's picture. I decided to take a good look at it; inspect it in detail for any faults.

I couldn't help but grin a little when I saw it clearly. Akamaru peeked from behind Kiba, trying to bite the boy's ear. Kiba looked absolutely shocked. It looked like he was trying to protest right as the picture was taken. His eyes were a little frantic and his mouth was forming unspoken words. Perhaps, "Don't!" or possibly "No." I couldn't really tell, but it gave me silly, perverse satisfaction.

* * *

The next day, it was around noon and I had finished training with Lee and Neji. We were resting on one of Konoha's many forest training grounds, drinking some hot tea that Lee was brewing from a fire I had pitched.

The trees were laced with snow and the sight was actually rather breath-taking. The frosty winter air made our breathing visible. Neji was leaning against a tree a few feet from me and Lee. Lee danced gleefully around the fire, singing a song about youth.

"YOUTH! IT IS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE! SO VIIIIIBRANT INDEEEED!"

"Lee, please stop," Neji commanded, thoroughly irked. Lee stopped singing but kept dancing.

"So, youthful Tenten! Do you have any lovely plans for this weekend!"

"Nope," I mumbled quietly to myself. "Just that horrible date…"

I didn't intend for anyone else to hear but Lee gasped. Neji appeared to be too far away to hear.

"WHAT, TENTEN!" Lee inquired ostentatiously. "Did you say 'date'?"

Before I could reject that belief, he got up and in front of me, his eyes sparkling freakishly.

"A DATE! How incredibly young at heart!" Lee exclaimed. I recoiled as if in pain. All of a sudden, Neji made a stifling sound as he choked on his tea.

"NEJI, MY YOUTHFUL COMRADE! ARE YOU ALR-"

"What?" he asked sharply. "I don't mean to be intrusive, but what did you say you're going to engage in this weekend?"

I blinked in horror. "I…I said 'gate'! Of course! I said I'm going to build a gate…"

Neji just stared coldly into the fire in front of him. For some reason, I got the feeling he didn't buy the gate thing…

"Fine," I declared without thinking. "I _am_ going on a date."

Lee applauded joyfully. "Congratulations, Tenten!"

Neji was glowering at the fire now. He spoke quietly. "Don't we have training to do then?"

"No…we don't train on Saturdays," I replied. I looked at him curiously, but he wouldn't look back at me. He turned away, avoiding eye contact. He was seemingly inspecting the target next to the tree.

"I don't agree that that would be appropriate," he stated brusquely. Somehow, that enraged me. I knew he didn't normally care about what I did over the weekend and I knew he definitely wasn't jealous. He couldn't possibly be. So why didn't he think it was "appropriate" for me to go on a date?

"It's not your place to tell me what's appropriate or inappropriate in my personal life."

The words stunned me just as much as they stunned him. I could tell because his usually unaffected expression gave way a little, his eyes growing ever so slightly. But of course it only took him a fraction of a second to recover, and the short-lived expression of shock hardened into vexation.

"The only reason I consider it inappropriate is your performance at training sessions," he said acerbically. "Maybe you should spend more time improving y-"

"Why do you care?"

At that statement, his face blanched of any sign of annoyance, as well as any sign of emotion. I swallowed once to calm the nervous adrenaline rushing through my body before speaking.

"Bye, Lee. I think I'm going home now."

I reclaimed my stuff, tossed my coat over my shoulder and left the training grounds without any further words.

When I was off the training grounds and surely out of Byakugan's view, I felt my eyes water. The thick forest around me rustled as I cried silently, walking briskly through the woods. My hair was a mess and stray strands clung to the wetness around my eyes. I brushed them away harshly. Finally, I couldn't bear the unfeeling iciness of the still woods and I ran.

By the time I had departed the forest, my eyes were dry but tired. I made my way to the main streets of Konoha, staggering aimlessly along the paths. I had known Neji was insensitive. And I had been wounded countless times by his hostility before. But for some reason, this time hurt more than before. And I knew why.

This time, it forced me to recognize that what I felt for him would always be unrequited.

* * *

When my thoughts finally cleared up enough for me to think of surveying where my aimless steps had brought me, I found myself standing on my porch. I entered my house and stood still for the moment, leaning my back against the door. I stared vacantly into the empty space before me. At that moment, I truly didn't want to be alone.

I knew Ino and Sakura were in the midst of a lesson from Tsunade. I called Hinata, but got sent straight to voicemail.

Dejected, I scrolled down my list of contacts. There was no one I really felt like seeing just then. Suddenly, I jumped a little bit as my phone rang in my hands.

I stared at the unfamiliar caller ID. It read "Mutt."

"Hello?" I answered, making sure my voice sounded regular.

"Hey, it's me, Kiba. I'm sorry about the scrolls…"

I frowned. "What do you want?"

"We have to meet to settle the problem…remember…?"

I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Ugh, whatever. Where and when?"

"Do you know the coffee shop next to Ichiraku's?"

"Yeah…"

"Well can you go there right now?"

Honestly, I didn't really feel like doing anything right now, no matter how precious those scrolls were. Halfheartedly, I decided to go.

"Yeah. Be there in half an hour," I said before hanging up. Upon hanging up, I sulked. I stomped to my bedroom and grabbed my teddy bear, Machete. I was about to throw him against the wall, but decided not to. Although I hated stuffed animals, Machete reminded me of my parents.

Desolation overpowered me as I decided to take a warm shower instead.

I meandered through the bustling crowds of people filling the streets. It was lunch time and the streets were a lot livelier than they were when I left training. I found the coffee shop and wandered in. Kiba was already sitting at a table near the back, looking relatively impatient. When he saw me, he watched curtly as I took a seat across from him.

"You said half an hour," he grumbled. I glared menacingly at him. "You're twenty minutes late."

"Just cut to the chase."

"Well, how much do I owe?"

"$12,000."

He looked like he would cry.

"What! No way!"

Actually, Gai had said that those scrolls would cost nearly $24,000 to buy if it was possible…but I presumed the price would have decreased over the decade…

"It's true. I'll give you two weeks to come up with the mon-"

"Wait!" he objected. "I…I don't think I can do that…"

"Why not?"

"It's just…there's been an incident and I-"

"Well, what do you plan on doing then!" I snapped crossly. He bit his lip, thinking hard. He sighed.

"I can pay it off with labor," he suggested. I opened my mouth to discard the idea, but swiftly stopped.

Labor…

"You'll do anything?" I asked. He hesitated for a moment, but nodded. I contemplated, rethinking the proposition carefully.

"I need you to help me stage a fake date."

"What! Like be your dat-"

"Hell no! Just pretending, obviously!"

"Why?" he spat contemptuously.

I took a small breath. _Do I really have to explain this?_

"Well…I have this bet going…and the stakes are pretty high…that's all I'm telling you unless you agree to it!"

"Forget it! There's nothing in it for me!"

"You idiot, if you do it, I won't report you to the police! That's what's in it for you!"

"I don't care! I refuse to do something so…humiliating!"

I thought apprehensively, realizing I needed him much more than he was currently aware of…

"You need a place to stay for a while, right?"

His expression turned sober. _That got his attention._

"How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Hinata told me. I was with her when you texted her about watching Akamaru yesterday."

"Did she…tell you _why_ I need a place to stay?"

"She just said you had 'an occurrence' and that was it."

He seemed deep in thought for a moment. "Yeah…so what about it?"

Before I had time to think it over, I found I was already talking.

"As long as you don't bring Akamaru, I'll let you stay at my place starting tomorrow. I have a small, but tolerable, guest room."

He eyed me distrustfully. "What's the catch?"

"Nothing. Why? Are you afraid I'll hurt you?"

He snorted conceitedly. "No!"

"Then do it. How long do you need to stay?"

"Like…a few months…maybe 6 weeks…"

"Here, I'll cut $6000 from your debt after you do the fake date and $1000 for each week you live there…working as my…household servant."

"WHAT! You want me to be your date and be a maid…just kill me now!" he roared, but immediately knew he made a mistake. He was dealing with Konoha's _weapons _mistress…

"If that sounds easier, you know I'd oblige-" I offered cynically.

"Okay, I'll do it! But you have to keep your word."

"I'll keep my word as long as you keep yours…and keep my house clean...cretin…"

He growled at the word "cretin." I gave him a forewarning look.

"You shouldn't snarl at your boss like that."

"You're not my boss!"

I ignored him. "I do have a set of rules you must follow though."

"What?"

"No shedding, no barking, and you must be housebroken," I replied sarcastically. He was about to yell at me when I continued. "Just get your stuff and move in before nine tomorrow morning, but no earlier than seven." I took out a scrap of paper from my pocket and scribbled my address down. I proceeded by sliding it over to his side of the table.

"Thanks," he forced himself to say. I forged a noticeably fake smile.

"You're welcome…" I replied. Then I quietly whispered, "Mutt…"

He stood up boisterously and pointed an accusing finger at me, probably to start a fuming tirade about my injustice. However, I stood up and left before he could, and I heard him mutter something about me being bad-tempered.

_Well, if I'm bad-tempered, he's just plain nasty_, I thought resentfully as I left the coffee shop. I had no idea exactly how nasty it would get…

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Remember, this is my first real fanfiction, so please forgive any mistakes I've made. Better yet, don't forgive and angrily rant about them in the form of reviews! I always love constructive criticism!**

**Chapter 3 might not come out for a while…but I will always try to update within a week…so please don't abandon this story! It really hasn't even begun yet!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Before I begin, I would just like readers to understand that my original intention was not to portray Tenten as a tomboy…I wanted more of a "clueless" girl who just happens to have tomboyish qualities.

Also, please disregard questions that are only followed by an exclamation point and no question mark. For some reason, it will not upload the way I want…

Finally, jealousy is incited well through friendship…

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 3

"Hello!"

A loud, disruptive banging sound coerced the sleep out of me. It was still dark. I moaned and rolled over on my bed to check the time. The clock read 4:39 A.M. I rolled back ov-

…

I sprang out of bed. What the hell…? Who could possibly be trying to beat my door down at this hour? The doorbell began ringing incessantly. I slowly crept into my kitchen and stealthily slid open the pantry door. I pulled out a metal club. Tiptoeing, I painstakingly made my way to the door. Cautiously, I checked the peephole, but to no avail; it was too dark outside to see anything significant. All I could make out was a silhouette. Taking a deep breath for courage, I quietly unlatched the lock. In one swift, fluid motion, I swung the door open and raised the club to strike.

And I was just about to bring the club down, when I realized who it was.

"What are you doing here! Didn't I say 'no earlier than seven!'"

Kiba scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Uh, there was sort of a…situation…back home, and I…had to come earlier."

I didn't respond. He was staring at me edgily, as if I were some scaly, five-headed creature with fangs.

"What?" I inquired snappishly.

"Well, first of all…do you mind lowering the club?"

Reluctantly, I lowered the weapon, keeping my eyes fixed on him predatorily.

"And also," he continued. "Are you seriously Tenten?"

I raised a brow.

"Who else would I be, dumbass?"

"Yep, it's definitely you - it definitely sounds like you…It's just…"

"What!"

"You look different…and less ugly…maybe it's because it's dark-"

"Shut up! Do you want me to slam the door on you and make you wait out here until seven?"

"No! I'm sorry! It's not like I said anything bad though…"

"Just get inside."

He stepped inside, dragging his crap in with him. I shut the door savagely. I set the club down and turned the hall lights on.

"Follow," I ordered, lazily leading him to the living room. I flipped the lights on in there too.

"Sit," I demanded and surprisingly...he obeyed, setting his stuff down and plopping onto my couch. He was staring at me again with the same strange, baffled look on his face.

"I know what's different…you…don't have panda ears…" he noted. I blinked sleepily, trying to fathom what he was babbling about. When it finally clicked, I gasped. My hair…I slept with my hair down and I hadn't bothered to fasten it into my routine buns…

"Crap," I muttered, running my fingers fretfully through my hair. He grinned. It was an atypical grin; slightly awry. It was arrogant and sheepish all at once.

"Wow…you actually don't look repulsive at all right now," he observed. I raised my fist to punch him, causing him to flinch a little. But eventually, I sighed and decided to spare him just this once.

"Alright, look. Guest room's over there. I leave at eight-thirty. I come back around one. Just unpack, clean up the kitchen, and make sure this room's spotless by the time I'm home. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what's that room?" he asked nosily, pointing to my bedroom.

"That's my room. Don't go in there unless you wish to suffer a gruesome and painfully wretched demise," I threatened. I swore I heard him gulp.

"Okay," he agreed at once. "Oh, and where's the bathroom?"

"Right next to the guest room," I answered. "Please use it. Don't soil any of my carpets."

He scowled at the offensive joke.

"Harpy," he hissed vindictively. I simpered self-righteously before giving a comeback.

"Bum."

"Shrew."

"Mutt."

That sole word made him boil over. He glowered at me with those same narrowed eyes from before, creating the same pernicious, animal-like stare. I quickly looked away, finding it startlingly effective and hair-raising.

I waved a hand at him in dastardly repugnance. "Just go drop your stuff off and leave me alone."

When he left the room, I exhaled in relief. I fell onto the ragged couch, drifting into a fleeting nap.

About three hours later, something began prodding my knee. I wanted to ignore it, but the prodding escalated to shaking and I awoke from aggravation.

"WHAT!" I screamed at him. He pouted; looking at me like a little boy would eye a haggard old crone after she steals his Halloween candy.

"I can't sleep anymore. Do you have any coffee or somethi-"

I stormed past him, before he could finish, and into my kitchen. I didn't really drink coffee, but Ino had brought her coffeemaker and some instant coffee mix and stashed it in my cupboard. It just showed how my friends spent too much time here at my cramped apartment.

That reminded me to inform Kiba of something important.

As I sloppily shoveled mounds of coffee out of a container, Kiba's head popped into the kitchen doorway.

"Get in here," I commanded. He shrugged and strolled in. "More often than not, my friends and certain visitors stop by. In the event that ANYONE drops by here, you're gonna have to hide in the guest room."

"Okay…" he replied uncertainly. "What if I'm here alone?"

"Don't answer the door. Ever."

"What about your teammates?"

"NO!" I shouted. He jumped back a little from the sudden blast. _Crap, what if Neji stops by!_

"Okay…sheesh…you're such a spaz! Well what about the mailman?"

"Don't bite him," I answered sardonically. He frowned.

"Again with the dog jokes! Stop being s-"

"_Anyways_," I interrupted. I turned Ino's coffeemaker on. "Just don't answer the door unless it's the mailman, Hinata, the old woman from next door, or the landlord."

"How am I supposed to recognize the last two?"

"The landlord's a giant…and he's bald, although he has a red mustache. The other is 4'9", a heavy smoker, and always wears a pink feather boa. They don't know any of our friends, so it's safe. And it's equally important to answer the door for both of them."

"I understand why the landlord's really important, but why the old lady?"

"She's crazy and if you don't answer the door, she'll do bad things."

"Bad things? Like what? Loiter on the porch and knit awfully itchy sweaters for you?"

"No, bad things like breaking your window with a brick and throwing soy sauce-filled water balloons into your house…"

He gave me a weird look but nodded. I handed him a mug of slapdash instant coffee.

"So…" he ventured. "Wanna explain this bet-slash-fake-date-thing to me?"

"Nope, not really. But I will anyways," I said, heading into the living room. He followed.

I took a seat on the couch and motioned for him to sit on a puny, pathetic-looking plastic stool opposite me.

"Okay, so…" he said, awkwardly positioning himself on the scarce chair space. He took a sip of coffee.

I wrinkled my nose somewhat. I really didn't want to tell him such degrading details…nor did my pride want me to give him the idea that my love life was non-existent…although it was.

"Three days ago, on Saturday, Hinata and I made a bet with Sakura and Ino saying that if I could get a date within the week…Ino and Sakura can't give me a makeover."

"Why'd you do that? You could really use a make-"

"MOVING ON…that's why I've hired _you_."

"So…are they going to be spying on the fake date?"

"Yup. All you have to do is pretend we're on a date. It's as easy as that."

"What's so easy about acting like you're enjoying a date with a cranky, foul-mouthed-"

"Do you want me to cancel your debt or not!"

"Fine…when is it?"

"This Saturday. Make sure you're free from seven to nine."

"Sure. But…"

"What?"

"Tenten, I don't mean to be rude…well, mostly…but have you ever even been on a date before?"

I hadn't anticipated such a bold question, and it caught me off guard.

"Y-yeah! Tons of times," I lied. I mentally slapped myself for stammering. He put on a disbelieving expression.

"Then why are they trying to give you a makeover? And why did you make a bet like th-"

"Just do your job!" I thundered. He smirked, and then did that lopsided, sheepish grin.

"You've never dated before, have you?"

"I told you already! I have!"

"Oh, really?" he asked mockingly. "Who?"

My face went blank. _Dammit!_

"Uh…there were lots of guys…so many that…I just can't recall…"

"Hey, if you've never been on one, you can just say so-"

"GRRRRR!" I shouted, flustered. "Fine! I admit it! I've never been on a date! I've never had a boyfriend, and I've never even been kissed, okay! Way to make someone feel like shit, you-"

"Calm down!" he exclaimed. "Man, you're moodier than I thought! And I never asked if you've had a boyfriend before, or whether or not you've been kissed…And wait…you're a year older than me…that's just pitiful…"

I stood abruptly, almost knocking over a small flower pot next to me. "STOP! That's enough! Thank you for pointing out my serious lack of romantic experience! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go get ready for traini-"

"Wait!" he called. I looked at him gruffly. "If we're gonna make this fake date at least kind of convincing, it's not ME we should be worried about…it's YOU."

I crossed my arms, preparing to argue obstinately against that statement, but what he said after that was so appalling that it momentarily paralyzed my strong resolve.

"I'll help you learn how to date. Just as an old friend, of course."

_Help me learn to date? Old friend? Is this a joke?_

"I don't need your help," I declared frigidly. "I don't want to be your charity case."

"No, of course not! I just thought it'd be better for you to-"

"I'm fine," I decreed. He sighed.

"Suit yourself, but the offer's still up for grabs."

I glared. "I'm going to go prepare for training."

I exited the room and was about to enter my own bedroom when he spoke.

"Hey Tenten! By the way, this coffee tastes horrible! Maybe you should've-"

SLAM! I smashed the door shut behind me as I entered my room. I glanced at the clock and panicked a bit. It read 8:34. Feeling sleep-deprived, grouchy, and depressed, I hurriedly forced my hair into my signature double-bun style. I quickly brushed my teeth and grabbed my weapons. Then, I dashed out of my room. Kiba was watching me sullenly from the kitchen.

I was just about to leave when the doorbell rang. Kiba and I exchanged a worried look. We rushed to the door, and I peered through the peephole. Ino.

"HIDE!" I whispered harshly. He grunted curtly but ran towards the guest room. I opened the door.

"Hey Tenten. I just came by to pick up my coffeemak-"

CRASH. A terribly loud and noticeable clatter of dishes sounded from behind me. I curled my lips into what I hoped looked like a sincere smile.

"Ah…that…must be the draft from this door," I explained. She gave me a funny look, but dismissed the sound.

"Yeah…coffeemaker…"

"Oh! Right! Uh, wait here! I'll bring it to y-"

Ino entered, taking the door from my grasp. "Hey, it smells different in here…is this…men's cologne?" she asked suspiciously.

I blinked in perplexity. Then I mentally growled. _Kiba…_

"Uh…yeah…it's mine!" I improvised. She rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth; presumably to lecture me about how hoydenish and unladylike I was…I took it as an opportunity to retrieve the coffeemaker.

"Tenten, THIS is why you can't get guys. You can't wear _guy's_ fragrances and expect them to come flocking to you…"

She continued her harangue as I made my way to the kitchen. A couple of pots and pans were scattered across the kitchen floor. Kiba cracked open the door minutely, staring nervously through the small gap. My eyes shot him a warning message that said, "_What the hell are you doing! Close the door!"_

He responded by giving me a contemptuous frown before slowly shutting the guest room door, being careful not to make noise. I found Ino's coffeemaker and hurried back to the door.

"And that's why we should go shopping for some perfume-"

"I'll be fine, Ino," I assured, handing her the coffeemaker. She pouted at first but subsequently smiled impishly.

"So…do you have a date yet?"

"Yeah," I replied. _I think…_

Her whole face lit up.

"Oh my freaking god, Tennie, congratulations! Now you just have to prove it! I'm so proud of you!"

I sighed. "Yeah…so am I…"

"You know, on your date…maybe you should wear your hair down! It woul-"

"Bye, Ino."

She pouted again. Just before stepping out the door, she took one last sniff at the air.

"Wow…this cologne," she announced dreamily. "…would smell really hot on a guy! It' so…tough and…masculine…"

I could barely suppress the urge to express my horror. _Ino thinks Kiba's scent is…hot…now that's disturbing on so many different levels…_

She took one final whiff before leaving. I shut the door as Kiba came out, resting his hands behind his head. He was sporting his sheepish grin.

"So she thinks I smell nice…interesting…"

"Shut up. She has a boyfriend."

"Shika? He spends more time with Temari anyway-"

"Watch what you say about other p-"

"Hey, aren't you late?" he asked, blatantly ignoring me. I took a look at the kitchen clock. 8:38.

My twitchy state of panic returned as I grabbed my stuff and sprinted for the door. Kiba followed me.

"Hey! See you lat-"

I shut the door on his goodbye and ran out of my house, throwing my coat on in the process. I ran all the way to the Western training grounds.

* * *

I had never really been to the Western training grounds; maybe two or three times total. Yesterday at training, before Neji and I fought and before I had ruefully left, Lee had had a sudden desire to start training on the Western grounds. We had decided to take a break from our habitual location on the Eastern side. Thankfully, the Western training grounds were a great deal closer to my house than the Eastern ones.

Within ten minutes, I had reached the entrance. Neji and Lee were waiting for me. As I approached, Neji silently walked away, heading into the training grounds first. Lee shrugged inanely.

"Tenten, my wonderful comrade, are you alright?"

I nodded, but stared at Neji's back as he strode away from us. I immediately regretted what I had said to him the day before. I was aware that words could be venomous. And I also knew he wasn't as immune to the poison as he wanted the world to believe.

After we had all finished training, I reclaimed all of my weapons. Training had been relatively easy today, and I didn't feel worn-out, but my mind felt fatigued. Neji had not spoken a single word the entire time. He wouldn't even look at me. I could feel myself die a little inside with each latent minute that passed us by. As we collected all of our stuff, Lee suddenly started shouting.

"Neji! Tenten! Guess what I've discovered!" he cried. "A shed! On the far side of the next training site over-"'

"Lee, I was already aware of the shed while we were training. My Byakugan sensed it," Neji answered. It was the first thing he had said to us all day. My ears perked up at the yearned sound of his voice. _Sorry_, I thought. _Sorry, Neji…_

Lee sprang into the air. "WE MUST GO EXPLORE IT!"

"Hn."

That was the only response, but somehow, both Neji and I ended up accompanying Lee to the old shed. It was a small, snug wooden shanty tucked into a private corner of the site. Thick blue drapes hung in the windows; blocking any possible way of seeing inside. It looked abandoned. A rusty key was hanging from a rope on the doorknob.

"IS ANYONE IN THERE! IT IS ROCK LEE, KONOHA'S BEAUTIFUL GREEN BEAST! YOOOOOSSH-"

"Lee, no one is living in there," Neji concluded, using his Byakugan. "There are only tools and some strange, foreign weapons-"

"YOSH! This sounds like an exciting adventure! As ninja, we should go in-"

"There is nothing there except for what I have already mentioned," Neji said firmly. Lee turned to me.

"TENTEN! Will you embrace your fleeting youth and accept the challenge!"

"Sure," I agreed. Foreign weapons sounded appealing to me.

Neji glared. "Fine. But only for a brief-"

Lee had already unfastened the lock and begun his assault. I followed him first, with Neji coming unwillingly behind us.

I stared in wonder. It was beautiful. The entire place was filled with unique, handcrafted weapons. It appeared to have been used as a weapons workshop. There were fine staffs and spears hanging neatly on the walls. A wide array of different types of knives and blades covered a table near the back. I had never seen most of them before. A few hefty axes and scythes were securely attached to the ceiling with heavy rope. Many of them had foreign letters and writing inscribed on their hilts and sheaths. I felt the way Ino would feel at the most extravagant mall on the planet with an unlimited credit card. Or the way Sakura would feel at a boundless library. It was the closest I had ever been to an example of heaven on Earth…

While I was distracted, I didn't really notice Lee drop his wallet. A small coin rolled out of it and onto the floor, rolling just past the door of the shed. Lee rushed out of the shed to collect it, but stumbled along the way, his foot catching the door. The door shut stridently, breaking my stupor. I turned around. Neji made his way to the door and tried to open it. He couldn't.

"Lee!" I called out. I heard a muffled response from outside the door.

"TENTEN! NEJI! Can you come out?"

"The door's locked," Neji stated. I swallowed an uneasy lump that had formed in my throat.

"Lee! Try opening it from outside!"

"It's stuck!" he yelled. "And I refuse to break this door down! THAT'S DESTRUCTION OF KONOHA PROPERTY!"

Neji exhaled sharply. Then, he activated his Byakugan. "Lee, there's a jam in the lock system behind the keyhole. See if you can find something to pick it with…perhaps a twig or a rod."

"YES COMRADES! DO NOT FEAR! ROCK LEE WILL SAVE THE D-"

"LEE HURRY UP OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" I threatened.

"Yes, hold on!" he answered before running off. I sighed in desperation. _This is just great…_

I watched as Neji stepped away from the door, looking tremendously uncomfortable.

"Neji…I might as well say this now…I'm sorry…about yesterday, I was-"

"Tenten, it's fine. But before you explain, I need to tell you something."

I tilted my head, curious. He seemed to take in a breath uncertainly. Maybe he was about to apologize. Probably not, but still…

"Tenten, I feel that it is important you should know this. It's important to both of us – no, I mean…it's very important to me. Before yesterday, I didn't understand…I didn't know how to express-"

Suddenly, he stopped. A look of panic crossed his normally serene face. I frowned, wanting him to continue his apology. I had become completely entranced by the unusual idea of Neji Hyuga apologizing to someone…

"Neji, if you're gonna apologize, just-"

Before I knew what was happening, he was running toward me. My eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around me tightly, tackling me to the floor. We ended up flying a few feet from where I had been standing earlier. We rolled jaggedly across the wooden surface, and I landed on top of him, straddling his torso from the shock. All the while, his arms shielded me. When we finally came to a stop, I raised my head up from his chest and looked to where I had been standing seconds before. The rope on one of the largest axe blades had withered, and the blade had come crashing into the floor where I had stood.

My heart knocked rapidly against my chest as I realized what would have happened. I turned my gaze to Neji. His arms loosened around me and he groaned. He was grimacing a bit.

"What's wrong! Are you hurt? Did something-"

"Tenten, will you please…remove your knee…"

I glanced at my knee. I was still wearing my hard, studded, protective knee pads from training. The studs were just hardly rounded but the protrusions were jutting into his hip. I blushed, quickly leaping up. I offered a hand, but by then, he was already on his feet. Immediately, he seized my shoulder, spinning me once around roughly. He crudely snatched my hands, inspecting them thoroughly. Finally, he gave a grave nod, indicating that I was in adequate condition. He was still grasping my hands in his. I tried tugging away, but he gripped them even tighter. I grumpily looked him in the eye, but the intensity coming from them shattered any trace of thought I had at that moment. He pulled me by my hands in a jerking motion, forcing me a bit closer to him. I felt my face heat considerably for some reason I couldn't fathom as he stared at me squarely.

"Tenten," he said, his purpose seeming more ambiguous than just an apology now. "I l-"

BANG! I flipped my head toward the sound to see Lee with a long, thin twig in his hand.

"ROCK LEE HAS SAVED THE DAY!"

I blinked as my hands dropped from Neji's tenacious grip. _What in the world just happened?_

Neji looked ready to strangle someone, and he treaded violently out of the shed. Lee puckered his brow markedly, making his bushy brows dance in an incongruous motion above his eyes. They fell on the massive blade embedded into the flooring behind me.

"What happene-"

"I have no idea," I answered artlessly. He gaped at the blade. I gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah…bye, Lee."

"Bye Tenten! But wait! Won't you tell me wh-"

"I said GOODBYE, Lee!" I roared. He fidgeted nervously.

"Bye, Tenten."

I left. By the time I reached our training site, Neji was gone. I glumly trudged back home, upset because I never heard Neji's apology. _Was it even an apology? Normally, people don't hold your hands and stare at you like that for petty apologies…but then what WAS that? Was he angry? Was he sad? UGH!_

My mind stayed preoccupied with these maddening thoughts for the whole walk back home. When I reached the porch, I hadn't even taken my keys out of my pocket before Kiba threw open the door. I yelped in surprise. He laughed darkly.

"Welcome home, boss!"

"Shut up."

"Wow, I thought you were just a grouch in the morning but yikes! You're just as-"

I gave him a look suggesting murderous intent to make him quiet. I tried to sustain the glare, but my exhaustion and misery from the new episode in the shed must have become evident. His sheepish grin diminished.

"Hey…are you okay?" he asked vigilantly. I ignored him; roughly brushing his shoulder as I shoved passed him and through the doorway. He followed me as I lumbered into the kitchen.

"So…have you thought about the offer?"

"What offer?"

"Remember? I offered to help you with your love life problem?"

"Oh…that? Hell no."

He sighed. "Look, today…I actually sort of went in your room, and-"

"WHAT! WHY WOULD YOU-"

"I dropped a marble and it rolled in there! You left the door open…"

"WHY do you have marbles! What are you? A ten-year-old!"

"They're Akamaru's teething marbles! At any rate, I ended up in there. And your desk drawers just happened to be open…and I just happened to see some stuff…"

I gasped but no sound came out. He continued.

"And one of those drawers was a shrine of worship for...Neji Hyuga…?"

I cringed in horror. He knew…

"That's just because…he's my teammate…I naturally just happen to have many pictures and items-"

"It looked like you have a crush on-"

"NO!" I screamed. He smirked.

"I thought it was weird…you've been around him so long…and girls are always attracted to the stuck-up, pretty boy prodigy ty-"

"I'm NOT!"

"I'm not here to debate it with you. I just wanted to let you know that I know. It's not like I'll tell anyone…well, then again it's not like anyone would care…"

I stood there in trauma, not knowing what to do or which of his bones I wanted to break the most. He proceeded to put me into more traumatic shock.

"Well, after I figured that out…I decided I would help you whether you like it or not. So I planned some practice. I'm going to help you improve…or in your case, build…the lovey-dovey part of your life…And maybe you-"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. NOW."

"Tenten, just listen to me. I think I could really help you. So just try it…and besides, if I leave, you'll never receive reimbursement for those precious scrolls…"

I glared. He was right. Maybe I was overreacting…he was just Kiba…I shouldn't care whether he wanted to help or not.

"What do you mean 'practice'?"

"I rented this movie so you can study it. You know, like how normal people act on dates and around the opposite sex-"

"I refuse to-"

"Just try it once. Please," he begged. I was suddenly attacked when he put on an extreme pouty face. His eyes lost much of their bestiality, and I was taken aback by the tender, puppy-like disgustingness that was thrust before me. I made a face.

"Fine! Whatever! Just stop with that face!" I carped. He laughed evilly before running to the living room and starting the movie.

* * *

About halfway into the movie, I was actually rather intrigued. It was a romantic comedy, but it was far better than the cheesy, sappy kind that I had been oppressed into watching with my friends before.

We were sitting on my couch with a colossal bowl of popcorn between us. We were both engrossed with the film. I watched closely as the female lead turned to walk away from her romantic interest. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Without warning they began kissing passionately. They fell onto the hospital mattress behind them. She entangled her fingers in the male lead's hair, letting out an ecstatic moan as he ran his hands down her back and grasped…

I blinked and turned away from the risqué scene, only to find Kiba had turned away from it, too. We stared at each other awkwardly. He rubbed his neck uncomfortably and I made myself chew some popcorn. The racy scene continued and eventually worsened. We sat there for a moment, silence and the awkward noises from the film encasing us. When it worsened, I shattered the silence.

"I thought you said you've watched this before!"

"I don't remember this scene being this way…or this long…"

"Well fast-forward through it!"

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"YES! What kind of ques-"

"Why? It's not like you've never been exposed to this sort of thing…right…?"

"Well…yeah I've watched these kinds of movies before-"

"But you've never…experienced this…in real life…?"

"I never said that-"

"But it's true."

"Damn you, Kiba."

"Just watch the scene. It's important to understand the…physical…aspects of love, too-"

"No! I don't want to watch it right now!"

"Why?"

"Well, YOU'RE here…and that's not the same as watching it with friends or a real dog…"

He smirked.

"Why? Do _I_ make you uncomfortable?"

"Both you and this scene make me uncomfortable."

Capriciously, he leaned toward me. I glared.

"What're you doing?"

He moved his face near mine, watching me pensively. He came closer.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING! GET BACK!"

He continued to lean closer and closer. I began to move backwards, scurrying away from him until I hit the armrest of the couch. He placed his hand in the air, hovering near my cheek.

His hand slowly floated down and grabbed the popcorn bowl sitting in my lap. I watched for a moment in disarray as he moved back to his side of the couch, casually munching on popcorn.

"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!" I yelled. He raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently. "Wait…you didn't think I was about to do anything…inappropriate with you, did you? Because that would mean you-"

"Of course not!" I scoffed. He grinned.

"See…that's why you fail at flirting. You're too uptight."

"That wasn't fair! It was YOU!"

He laughed as I sulked. "If you're always like that…who knows how long you'll be single? You'll probably end up as an old maid with a bunch of creepy cats-"

"And if you don't find some other form of housing soon, either _I'll_ be an old maid with a dirty _mutt _instead of cats…or _you'll_ be a homeless piece of rotting fur on the street!"

"And that's yet another example of why you'll end up alone."

I was about to argue when the doorbell rang. I grabbed the remote and stopped the film. I peered through the peephole and smiled. It was Hinata.

"Hey Hinata!" I greeted as she came in. She smiled shyly.

"Where's Kiba?" she asked. I jerked my thumb toward the living room. Kiba came out.

"'Sup Hinata!" he exclaimed. "You're a breath of fresh air after spending so much time with-"

"See, Hinata!" I cut in. "It _is_ that bad."

I had called Hinata yesterday, as soon as I left the coffee shop, and she had picked up that time. We had discussed the situation and she was fully aware of it. She had told me not to worry because Kiba was a good friend. _Yeah right…_

Hinata blushed. "I hope you two haven't fought too much…"

We both looked at each other indignantly before Kiba grinned at Hinata.

"So…how's Naruto been treating you?" he asked her, causing her face to turn even ruddier. "Is he being a good boyfriend?"

She smiled timidly and nodded with her face becoming crimson red. I laughed. Suddenly, Hinata's eyes were downcast sadly.

"Tenten…ummm…I have some news…about Neji-niisan…"

I looked at her quizzically. Hinata gave Kiba a soft but firm look, implying that he should leave for a moment. He nodded, taking his leave.

"Hinata…what's-"

"N-Neji-niisan is...w-well…my father has been very hard on him recently…"

"What's going on?"

"He…he…father thinks it's best t-to…but N-Neji-niisan says…"

"Hiashi and Neji are fighting?"

"Well…N-Neji-niisan will be-"

"Hinata, just tell me. I'll be fine."

Hinata nervously inhaled. I smiled encouragingly. I had no idea of the austerity in the news I was about to hear.

"Tenten," she said, interjecting. "Neji is getting married."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I hope this chapter was at least a small improvement from the last ones…**

**Please review! I do not mind being bashed for my missing plot points or bad grammar! I encourage it! Just don't be too mean…**

**The next chapter will probably appear within a week. Once again, thank you! Ideas for how you want the story to go are greatly appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the awfully long wait I caused. But I had my reasons...I hope that this chapter won't completely suck...and maybe that will make up for the wait...

This chapter has made me wonder...what is the drinking age in Konoha? I'll just pretend Tsunade lowered it to eighteen. She seems like she would...

Also, I would like to express that this chapter has reminded me vicariously of how hard it is to confess to someone that you like them...let alone write about it...

Anyways, here it is...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 4

"Tenten," Hinata said. "Neji is getting married."

My smile stiffened before dying. "What?"

Hinata didn't answer for a moment. She just stood there with her eyes remotely downcast. She pursed her lips tightly before speaking.

"I...I'm not supposed to tell..." she trailed off, and sighed, seeing my uneasy expression. She inhaled deeply before continuing. "But I came here to t-tell you...l-lately, father has decided that it is his duty to see that Neji-niisan is h-happily married," she explained. "He has hired a m-matchmaker for Neji, and is going to force him to go on b-blind dates...B-but Neji..."

She paused, finally looking up. I was looking at my feet but I could sense her worried and nervous energy as she checked my reaction. I couldn't tell whether I was lost in thought or if I had lost all thought, but my mind felt inert. I felt my hands shake, so I clasped them together. Hinata seemed to be holding her breath, but she continued.

"But...but at first N-Neji said he had no desire t-to marry right now...and then he and father a-argued...and father said that if Neji doesn't have anyone in m-mind...he must listen to him and the matchmaker...b-but...oh, Tenten..."

I looked at her. She was biting her lip. Her voice came out in an almost inaudible whisper, but I still heard her.

"But then, N-Neji-niisan said h-he already has someone he wants...to marry."

The words of that sentence hung in the air around us, ringing through the halls. They hit against the walls and ricocheted at me, hitting me repeatedly. I gasped as they knocked breath out of my windpipe. An endless train ran over my heart, each car carrying a different, conflicting emotion. Melancholy, hatred, regret, and anger roared across my spirit, each dismal feeling crushing my strength worse than the one before. I felt anger multiple times; anger at Neji, anger at the world, but especially anger at myself. They continued to race over the tracks wrapping my core, until Hinata hugged me.

"Tenten," she whispered. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't answer; I feared a sob would escape. I quickly shut my eyes when I felt tears threatening to emerge. _I won't cry_, I told myself. _This isn't worth crying for._

I gently pulled away from Hinata. She looked faint; her face was drained of color and her eyes glittered a little. I willed myself to smile.

"This is...wonderful news."

Hinata's eyes grew in shock and concern. She looked at me uncertainly. "Tenten…"

I suppressed my tears, which were now near the brink of falling. "That's...that's a good thing. I'm so happy for him, and I-"

"Tenten..." Hinata said again in disbelief. "You...you...you're b-being too strong."

"Hinata, I'm okay. And if not, I'll be okay."

She looked unconvinced. I smiled again, and tried to sound credible. "You should go…go home now Hinata. I'll…call you."

Hinata looked unconvinced, but she solemnly nodded. Her expression still looked worried. I sensed she was already aware that I was definitely _not_ okay. But after some persuasion, she agreed to go.

I watched from the porch as she left. I stood frozen in the doorway from the wintry chill and the shock from her news. When I finally had enough sense to go inside and shut the door, I lost it again. Immediately, I started crying. I couldn't fight with the despair anymore.

I tried to muffle the sobs behind my sleeve. My legs felt heavy and lifeless, so I just stood there in front of the door, crying. I hadn't cried so hard since when my parents had died, and the force of the sobs surprised me.

As I wept like an idiot, I forgot I wasn't alone. I didn't notice as Kiba crept out of his room, carefully approaching me. Even when he was finally standing directly in front of me, I still didn't acknowledge his presence. I was too busy bawling like a stupid, heartbroken little girl.

"Tenten?" he asked, tapping me. I ignored him; I was too embarrassed by the idea that he was witnessing me crying. I was about to tell him to go away when his spontaneous trait surprised me for the umpteenth time that day.

I choked a bit on my tears when he suddenly hugged me. Without a word, he delicately placed his arms around my shaking, weeping figure. I felt his hand pat my back lightly, and then stroke the back of my head. My sobs became strangled and broken up as we stood like that for a short second. I was almost about to let myself believe it was comforting, but then I recovered small pieces of my dignity, sense, and a pathetic portion of the strength in my limbs.

"G-get off!" I groused, accidentally sniffling a bit. Abruptly, I shoved him off with an unpredictably brutal power, making him stagger a few steps backward. I sniffed a little to clear my sobs before expressing abhorrence.

"W-what do you think you're doing!" I snapped, recovering some of the vigor in my voice. He stared at me in bewilderment.

"I was just trying to-"

"You HUGGED me...that's so...gross!"

"Gross? You were basically a weeping pile of _mucus_ so I hugged you! And you think the _hug_ was gross!"

"Why would_ YOU_ and_ I_ hug? That's unacceptable!"

"Actually, some _normal_ people think that hugs are comforting! YOU probably just-"

"A hug from you is just disturbing! Besides, don't pretend like you care!"

"Dammit, I don't!"

"Then why'd you HUG me!"

"'Cause I'm a nice guy!"

I snorted in disbelief. He scowled, doing that unexpectedly intimidating glare. I tried to stare him down for a while, but the atrocious animal-like eyes overwhelmed me. I looked away, feigning absolute detestation.

"Ugh! Just leave!"

"NO!"

"Fine then," I replied sharply. I went to my room, purposely bumping gruffly into his shoulder as I passed him. I slammed the door shut prior to throwing myself onto my bed. I buried my face in my pillow. Suddenly, I shot back up. My memory evoked tons of embarrassing images of myself crying in front of him, and then some degrading images of that damned hug. My pride shriveled a bit. I reminded myself that I didn't need any consolation. Especially not from _him_.

* * *

"Ow..." I muttered, rubbing my shoulder. I realized the impact from when I had shoved past him actually might have done more harm to my own shoulder than his. I frowned at the addition to my humiliation.

For the rest of the day, I stayed on my bed, motionless. I kept feeling tears threatening to return, and I struggled to hold them off until nightfall. I battled them until I fell asleep. Then I finally admitted defeat.

The next morning, I opened my eyes to a rude awakening. I felt stiff, numb, cold, irritable, and horribly depressed. A loud, cumbersome whirring sound was coming from just beyond my bedroom door. I grumpily got out of bed and threw the door open.

Kiba was vacuuming the kitchen floor. He didn't notice as I entered the kitchen. He remained oblivious as I crossly walked behind him and unplugged the vacuum. He turned, startled. I marched over to him, waving the cord in front of his face pointedly.

"Why are you vacuuming…in the freaking MORNING!" I barked. He did that crooked, sheepish grin.

"So you'd wake up in time for breakfast," he replied artfully. I was about to nag some more at the absurd, vague statement, but my eyes fell on the kitchen counter first.

An enormous stack of golden brown pancakes was sitting next to a plate of French toast and sausages. I finally noticed the air was sweet and rich with the smell of butter and maple syrup.

"It's still warm," he said, smirking when he saw my abstracted look of admiration. I was practically drooling. It had been a long time since I had seen real breakfast. The last time I had eaten a real breakfast was before my parents had died. Since then, I had usually just been content with half-thawed waffles or a candy bar. I felt sentiment poke my heart for a second.

"How did you do this?" I asked, sounding baffled. He laughed, shuffling his feet a little.

"Well, after you stopped cry-uh…I mean...after you went in your room yesterday, I went and got some groceries...I figured you weren't gonna eat dinner…so…"

"Thanks," I said.

"It's no big deal…" he answered. Then in a joking way he added, "Just doing my job."

I blinked. "Right…you're the maid." He frowned, and I mentally shuddered at how ungrateful I had just sounded. I hadn't meant to. "Hey…but…you cook?"

He nodded smugly. "It's just one of my many important skills."

Suddenly, I noticed he was wearing an apron over his clothes. It was a frilly little piece of pastel lace that seemed a bit too small for him. I could see a pink sash was tied into a bow at the back. It was covered in a pattern of small red hearts. I broke into laughter.

He stared at me curiously for a second, and then glanced down at what he was wearing over his clothes.

"This...this...I borrowed this from my sister!"

"Sure," I retorted, letting the sarcasm permeate through the single word. He scowled.

"I made you breakfast because you missed dinner yesterday and THIS is how you say thanks?"

"Oh stop whining," I teased. I went over to the kitchen counter, picked up a fork, and stabbed a piece of the topmost pancake in the stack. It tasted amazing; fluffy and soft with just enough crispness around it.

I was about to start devouring everything ravenously, when I noticed he was still standing there, watching with a famished look in his eyes.

"Hey, did you eat yet?" I asked. He shook his head no. "Come try this-"

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just eat after you leave. You're probably hungrier s-"

"Shut up and stop trying to be chivalrous," I interjected. "You know I can't eat all of this by myself."

He blinked before breaking into a childish grin, making me roll my eyes. _Idiot._

Twenty minutes later, we had finished eating. Kiba was doing the dishes and I was fixing my hair into my everyday buns. I was just finishing the last bun when the doorbell rang. I ran out of the bathroom and into my room, quickly catching a glimpse of the clock before running into the kitchen. It read 7:58.

Kiba had heard the sound, too. We exchanged an anxious look before racing to the door. I got there first and tried to check the peephole, but Kiba foolishly decided he wanted to see who it was first. He pushed me out of the way and attempted to look before me. But I yanked him down by his arm before he could. I was about to see who it was when he pulled me away from the door.

"Who is it?" he whispered somewhat fearfully. "Is it the landlord or the crazy old lady nex-"

I quickly covered his mouth and shoved him backward.

"I haven't seen yet, you imbecile!" I snapped my fingers toward the guest room before sharply whispering, "Hide! Now!"

He pouted but obeyed, retreating to his room. He was still wearing wet rubber gloves from the dishes.

Before I could think it through, I yanked the door open in impetuosity.

Holy...CRAP.

Neji stood with his hand suspended in midair, as if he was about to ring the bell again. For a moment, we just stood there silently. He slowly lowered his hand, regarding me with inscrutable eyes. I felt my breath catch and I swallowed hard when I felt those horrible tears from last night start to collect again behind my widened eyes. He dropped his gaze before clearing his throat. Then, he looked me directly in the eyes.

"Tenten."

* * *

Neji's POV

I raised my hand to ring the doorbell once more, but the door swung open before I could. Tenten stood there, and I watched her countenance harden as she identified me. I suspected she was still upset from the uncomfortable shed incident from yesterday. I found myself unable to speak when I saw her eyes. They looked shocked. I assumed she could be shocked by the fact that I came to find her at this early hour, when we would surely meet at training a little later.

But there was something other than just shock that seemed to be growing in her soft, brown eyes. I had seen it before, and I felt like an ass for not being able to remember what this look in her eyes meant. Was it anger? Disgust? No, it was something more subtle and muted. Was it...pain? But why? I couldn't quite recognize what the look expressed. _Perhaps this is why I am known as the "cruel" and "insensitive" jerk_, I thought. _I always disregard other people's emotions._

I just wished she wouldn't look at me that way.

It made me remember the times when Hinata would look at me like that. It was back when I wanted to hate her, Hiashi, the Main Household, myself, and everyone. I wanted to hate the world. It was before, when I had tried to kill Hinata. Yes, even before that fight in the Chunin Exams.

It had been a long time since Hinata had looked at me that way. But recently, she did. When I left Uncle Hiashi's study yesterday morning, she was trembling. I had yelled at him. I had told myself a while ago that I would try to refrain from disobeying Uncle Hiashi, but I guess it was a rather pointless pledge to begin with. I don't regret what I said to him though.

_There's no way in hell I can marry another girl. I can't right now. At least not before I tell her. I'd rather have Lee force-feed curry down my throat. And I hate curry._

Before yesterday, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what it was that was wrong with me. All I knew was that I had started to become strange and almost sick. Whenever she would come near me, I'd feel nauseous. At the same time, I liked the nauseous feeling. When she got hurt, I would become consumed with aimless rage. And worst of all, when she talked to other men and random people who just so happened to be men, I would feel feverish and ill.

These feelings began about a year ago. And through all the months this past year or so, I had decided that these perturbing emotions were some kind of disease. I chose to simply dismiss them as a figment of some kind of insanity I had developed. Therefore, I also decided that the best way to rid myself of the illness was by means of logic. It was a plan that had rarely ever failed me before.

So I began by tracing the origin of these emotions.

It was her. Tenten was my disease.

Then, I devised a treatment. I predicted that if I stayed away from her – if I just managed to keep a distance from her – I'd be safe.

I was so wrong.

For a few months, I made painstaking efforts to make sure I was away from her. I tried to ignore her completely. But for some reason, this made my urge to stay by her even more fervent. I convinced myself that this was natural; Tenten and I have been fairly good acquaintances for a long time.

I'm so stupid. So extremely stupid.

I have to admit that during these miserable and confusing months, I actually _did_ know what was going on. Very deep within the darkest and most isolated crevices of my mind, I believe I was subconsciously aware of what I know I'm fully aware of now. I was just too terrified to acknowledge this.

I had developed affection for Tenten.

And now I had to tell her. But why was it so hard? I had told Hiashi – no, I had yelled at Hiashi – about feeling affection for a girl just yesterday.

He had called me into one of his study rooms. It was right before I left to meet Lee and Tenten for some training...and unexpectedly getting locked in a shed.

Uncle Hiashi was facing the other way when I entered the room. His back was to me and he was standing very still with his hands clasped behind him, feet apart. I couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed, but he could have been looking through the large window that took up the entire wall in front of him.

I addressed him and he slowly turned.

"Neji," he began. "I have sent for you in order to discuss some...significant plans for your future."

I only nodded and he continued.

"You have proven to be a strong ninja and devoted member of the clan."

"You speak too highly of me, Uncle, I-"

"Listen, Neji. I have raised you in your father's place for many years now."

My lips tightened at those words. _In my...father's place..._

He stepped away from the window and came closer to me, until he was directly in front of me. He put a hand on my shoulder. I stared vacantly at him, but felt uncomfortable at the unfamiliar contact. Over the past few years, the relationship between us had become less hostile, but this action nevertheless made me suspicious. I sensed ominous news advancing toward me. He continued in a solemn, decorous voice.

"I feel that I have an obligation to you and Hizashi," he said. I felt my mouth parching.

_Hizashi...my father..._

"It is one of my final duties...to make sure you are...suitably joined," he said. "In matrimony."

The blood in my body seemed to momentarily cease its circulation. I felt aggravation boiling in my veins as my blood began to move again. I managed to keep my calm.

"I am...honored. But I'm afraid I have no thought for marriage at the present-"

"You're almost twenty-one."

I clenched my teeth. It was true that Hyuga Clan members usually married early. Especially Branch family members. I had to get out of there.

"I am really honored, Uncle. But I have to decline your...assistance in this matter," I answered stoically. I turned to leave. "I have an appointment to-"

"This isn't an offer, Neji," he suddenly stated in a biting tone. "It is a demand."

I turned back around, giving him an unyielding stare. "Demanding marriage of someone seems rather...offensive and... uncivil," I said, matching his icy tone. He looked away from me.

"It's for your own sake. I've already hired a matchmaker for-"

"I said I currently have no care for marriage." He ignored me.

"The matchmaker has suggested the daughter of a feudal lord in the Land of Coal. You will-"

"No, I won't."

"Since you don't have any women in mind to take as a bride, just follow my-"

"No!" I shouted. He seemed slightly taken aback, before an astringent glower appeared on his face. I continued to defy him. "That's not true."

_Shit, what am I saying..?_

"Who is she then?" Hiashi asked in a mocking sort of tone. It sounded like he was challenging me. I tried not to panic.

I noticed my hands were balled into tight, pale fists. What had I just announced? Did I just admit to...being fond of someone? _I don't have a girlfriend right now...Who was I even talking about?_

_Could it be...?_

"She's...someone I..." I started tentatively. Uncle Hiashi folded his arms across his chest, daring me.

"She's someone I..." I repeated. He looked impatient now. "She's someone I care for very deeply," I finished. He raised a stern brow.

She's someone I care for very deeply. _There. I said it. Now who the hell was I talking about!_

I stopped to think about it. Immediately, the first name that came to mind was...

_Tenten...?_

_Did I mean to say that I like Tenten? WHAT? WHY!_

Uncle Hiashi seemed surprised. He probably wasn't expecting me to respond like that. _**I**_ wasn't even expecting myself to respond like that. But it had felt extraordinary. I felt lighter. Hiashi focused his eyes on me once again.

"Then bring this girl...this person you 'care for very deeply'...to meet me."

All of a sudden, I felt heavy again, as the weight came crashing back down to my body.

"I don't think-"

"If you can't even bring her here to meet us, I assume you have no plans to marry each other. I have arranged a date for you this Saturday with-"

"I'm not going."

"Then bring her," he stated firmly. "If you don't bring her by this Saturday, you _will_ go on the date."

"I'm not going wheth-"

"You will do as you are told!"

I stared at him in disbelief. He looked unfazed. "Neji, I know you will do this."

"I won't."

"You will," he affirmed. "This marriage is crucial to the clan."

"This isn't really about you wishing to find me a suitable partner in matrimony? Is it?" I snapped. He nodded, too straightforward for my liking.

"A feudal lord in the Land of Coal is willing to support us in...other matters. A marriage is key to establishing an affiliation with-"

"Choose someone else," I said bitterly.

"I'm afraid I can't," he answered, refusing to reconsider. "You know our clan is presently scarce of sons."

"Send Kenji," I said. He stiffened. Kenji was my other cousin. He had been adopted by Hinata's compassionate late mother about twelve years ago. He had been a nineteen-year-old orphan then, starving on Konoha's streets when she found him. He was now a part of the Main Branch. He had no privilege to become heir because he was an adopted son, but he did fulfill the requirements. He was thirty-one now, older than I was, but still within a reasonable age range to marry.

Hiashi hesitated. "I can't," he replied. "And you know why."

He was right. I did know why. But I refused to concede.

Hiashi glared at me, but I could tell it was a pleading look. He wanted me to stop. I could read through his enraged eyes. They said, _Don't make me say it, Neji._

I returned the glare, forcing him to continue. As soon as he opened his mouth to say it, I knew I had made a mistake.

"I will not send the closest I have to a son to spare you."

"WHY?" I shouted in resentment. "WHO AM I?"

The empathy in his eyes dispersed suddenly. He stormed over to where I stood and swiftly removed my headband, revealing my marked forehead.

"You are the son of my younger brother, Hizashi! Don't you dare forget that, Neji!" he yelled. I looked away. "You will heed your responsibility to the Main Branch or I will remove you from your place beneath your father's name! Don't you ever forget that!"

He shoved the headband into my arms and turned away, walking back to the window. I was wordless.

"You are dismissed."

I left his study, curtly shutting the door behind me. I was about to turn the corridor when I sensed someone behind me.

Hinata had been there, with her back against the wall, next to the doorway. She was trembling.

"Hinata-sama," I breathed. She looked at me, giving me the same look Tenten was giving me now.

"Nii-san, are...are...you okay?" she stuttered in a soft voice. I nodded gravely.

"Hinata-sama, please...please do not discuss what you've heard today with anyone."

She nodded. "Y-yes..."

"Including Naruto."

She blushed. "Y-yes...of course," she stammered. I looked at my watch. "Neji-nii-san, who w-were you-"

"I apologize, Hinata-sama, but I'm late to a scheduled training session."

I left before she could finish. But I was most certain Hinata would keep her promise and refrain from telling anyone.

That day at training, I tried to apologize to Tenten. And confess. Unfortunately, we got trapped in a shed full of antique weapons and Lee actually ended up helping us for once. I wish he hadn't helped.

And now I was here, in front of Tenten, about to tell her that I have feelings for her. She wasn't saying anything. Just staring at me with those eyes...

I mentally prepared myself before beginning. _Would I be able to do it?_

I looked down in an attempt to stop my head from spinning. I cleared my throat a little, which had suddenly decided to clamp shut. I felt like I would pass out at any moment. I looked at her eyes again, feeling my heartbeat oscillate loudly in my chest. I forced my voice to speak.

Again, I asked myself, _Would I be able to do it?_

"Tenten," I started. "I..."

* * *

Back to Tenten's POV

"Tenten."

I tried to say something, but found I was incapable of speech. He continued.

"I...I am just here to escort you to training."

My heart started beating in my throat. "Um, thanks...thanks, Neji."

I reminded myself he was unaware of Hinata telling me about him last night. I realized I had a dazed look about me, and I forced myself to smile.

"Neji...Neji I wasn't expecting you..." I said, desperately trying to make myself sound cheerful. Neji did occasionally come to pick me up and walk me to training nowadays. I presumed it was just a part of his mannerly, Hyuga behavior.

"Did I wake you?" he asked impassively. I shook my head.

"I was just about to leave after telling Kib...um...I...do you want to come inside for a second?" I asked, sounding more than a bit unintelligent. I had almost self-incriminated myself by revealing Kiba's presence. In my head, I beat myself up several times.

He nodded. I stepped aside, letting him enter. Neji had been in my house a few times before with Lee after training, but this was the first time he had come inside alone.

Although, it wasn't the first time Neji had seen my house, his eyes wandered critically around my small home. They blatantly examined my dwelling before stopping at the absurdly unkempt array of mismatched pieces of furniture that formed my living room. Kiba's apron was draped over the back of one of the tacky chairs. I could tell he was looking at it. I felt my face flush red as I ran over to the chair and removed the apron.

I laughed in what I wanted to believe was a natural way. He tilted his head, looking severe and unconvinced.

"Ha...yeah...this..._this_...is mine," I explained, putting on the apron. He looked skeptical.

"Tenten, I don't mean to offend you, but you can't cook," he said frankly. Suddenly, he looked concerned. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You haven't been cooking, have you?"

I couldn't help but cringe, remembering the time I had cooked for Lee, Gai-sensei, and Neji on a mission. It had been a morbid disaster, and I had almost set our campground on fire.

"Actually...I _have_ been cooking," I lied. He opened his mouth to chide me, but I spoke before he could. "And I've been getting better at it!"

He looked doubtful again, but didn't say anything. I forced myself to smile again. Suddenly, I remembered Kiba was in the guest room.

"Okay...well...I'll be right back...I just need to get something before I go. Just stay _here_...and _**don't**_ use Byakugan."

He smirked, making me gulp. In an amused tone, he asked, "Why? Are you hiding something from me, Tenten?"

I felt my face redden and prayed he didn't notice. "Ha! What could I possibly have to hide from you, Neji?" I laughed it off to try to sustain my point. It must have sounded pretty unnatural because his smirk disappeared and he raised a brow.

"Just go finish whatever you have to do, Tenten."

I stopped grinning and nodded, hurrying back to the guest room. I opened the door to find Kiba texting something on his phone. I put my hands on my hips.

"Ahem!"

He looked up, quickly shutting his phone closed. "Who was it?" he asked eagerly.

"It was Neji," I whispered. "And he's still here, so-"

Kiba started laughing. "Ooooh...Tenten's crush is here..." he teased. I walked over to him and pinched his arm until he stopped.

"Shut up! He's just here because we're walking in the same direction," I said harshly. He chuckled a little. "I'm leaving now, so just stay inside where no one can see you and don't burn the house down."

"Yeah, sure thing."

I tossed the apron at his head, turned, and went back to the door, spinning the knob to leave.

"And Tenten?" he called. "Good luck."

I turned back around and he winked, smirking. I glared at him before leaving, closing the door behind me. But I couldn't help smiling at his last remark.

When I returned, Neji was standing exactly where he had been before. It seemed like he had barely even blinked. His expression looked unruffled, so I decided it was safe to assume he had not activated his Byakugan.

"Are you finished?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly more impatient than usual. I nodded, taking my coat out of the closet.

We walked down the street in front of my house in silence. About three or four minutes after leaving my house, he decided to speak.

"Tenten, I have something to tell you," he said bluntly.

I nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

He sighed, seemingly reluctant to tell me whatever it was. Just then, we approached the main streets of Konoha. It was a steeper street, and we were walking slightly uphill. There were barely any people out, but a peddler or merchant would pass us now and then. Neji was walking several feet away from me, closer to the middle of the street. He had insisted that I walk closer to the side. Suddenly, Neji stopped walking. I stopped, too.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He inhaled deeply. Abruptly, he put his hands on my shoulders, turning me to face him before letting go. I blinked, confused by the uncharacteristic action, and disoriented from the sudden contact.

"Tenten, I'm not quite sure how to best inform you that...I have-"

All of a sudden, someone shrieked from the other end of the street. A man with an enormous, scraggly black beard was shouting at us.

"WATCH OUT!" he screamed. I watched in horror as a colossal cart of squashes and pumpkins charged downhill toward me, barely a couple meters away, gaining speed each second. It was massive enough and fast enough to run me over. And it was racing down my side of the road. It was too fast to avoid but I decided to try jumping out of its path anyway.

I never got the chance, though, because before I knew what was going on, Neji pulled me toward the middle of the street, grasping my shoulders again. I was thrown against him as the cart rushed by behind me, just inches away from my back.

Then, all of a sudden, I realized he was holding me to his chest. The adrenaline from the oncoming cart was shooting through my body, making me breath hard. I could feel Neji's breath brushing against my right ear. As I become conscious of this, I felt heat rushing to my ears. They burned hotter with each breath he drew. We stayed like that until we heard the cart crash into the side of a building on the other end of the street. Slowly, he pulled me from him and we stared in astonishment at the stopped cart for a moment. As soon as the moment ended, he turned to face me.

"Tenten, I have to tell you that I'm in lo-"

"YOU THERE! MISS!" someone bellowed suddenly. It was the stout little man with the impossibly long, scraggly beard. As he came closer, I realized his right arm was in a sling. He was talking to me. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I replied, still unsettled. Neji looked infuriated. The man beamed at us.

""I'm sorry about my grotty wheelbarrow...its wheels are a bit slick," he said coyly.

"It's fine," I answered, grinning a little. "I didn't get hurt or anyth-"

"Your cart nearly ran her over!" Neji yelled. I jumped a little at his volume. I had rarely ever heard Neji yell before. The man winced before guffawing nervously.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, apologizing again. He scratched his head nervously under Neji's glare. "Have some f-free vegetables! It's the least I can do to make up for almost running you over, miss!"

"Thank you," I said, feeling sorry for him. Neji was still glaring at him. I elbowed him in the ribs, but he didn't seem to notice. He just kept scowling at the nervous, frightened merchant.

He started down the road, going to retrieve the cart. I stopped him.

"I'll get it," I offered, eyeing his broken arm. He beamed again. I started down the hill, but Neji stopped me.

"No, _I'll_ get it," he persisted roughly, still glaring at the unfortunate merchant. I sighed, too embarrassed to argue with him. He quickly ran down the street and pushed the cart uphill in record time, stopping just inches from hitting the merchant, who flinched. I frowned at my teammate, shooting him a look.

The merchant examined the vegetables in the cart. Surprisingly, they appeared to be in superb condition despite having crashed into the side of a brick wall. He pointed to a few of them.

"You can have half a dozen of anything you want," he offered. I nodded. I began to examine them, but found I didn't really know what I was looking for, so I just grabbed six random ones.

As I was hunting through the cart for vegetables, the merchant spoke, purely to try to avoid the uneasiness from the sullen, brooding stare Neji was giving him.

"Gosh, I've never seen a couple of young folk who look so good together," he said to us, smiling kindly. I gave him a perplexed look. His eyes darted from me to Neji. Neji stopped glaring. I blinked.

"Where?" I asked, searching around in confusion for the couple. He chuckled.

"Naw, miss, I mean you and your boyfriend!" he said, jerking his head in Neji's direction. I blinked again. "You sure look good together!"

I finally comprehended what he meant. I snorted in bemusement. Not this again...

"Oh, this guy! We're not...I mean...he's not my-"

"Do we?" Neji asked suddenly. I turned and gave him a look that said, _What the hell?_

He smirked at me. The merchant nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, you two go together real swell!" he shouted. I felt my face warm a bit. "I bet you'll make some nice-looking children..."

I felt my face burn vehemently. Neji seemed to smirk even more.

After we left the merchant, I glared at Neji, carefully balancing the various vegetables I had received in front of me. We continued to walk to training. He was staring straight ahead.

"What was _that_!" I hollered irately. He didn't bother to look at me.

"Your phone."

"What? What does that have to do with-"

"It's ringing."

"Oh..."

I pulled my phone out. Naruto had sent me a text. I read it rapidly, quickly replied to it, and put my phone away before briskly turning my attention back to being annoyed with Neji.

"WHY WOULD YOU TELL THAT GU-"

"Who was it?" he asked coolly. I sighed huffily.

"Naruto. NOW STOP TRYING TO AVOID-"

Neji made a face when I mentioned Naruto. "What did Naruto want?" he questioned.

I sighed again. Neji was always uncomfortable with Naruto now, ever since the blond ninja had started dating Hinata. Neji was always tremendously overprotective of her and constantly suspicious of Naruto.

"He just wanted to know if I was with Hinata," I said. "So I told him she was probably with Ino and Sakura in the Yamanaka flower shop right now."

Neji frowned. "Why'd you tell him that? What if he-"

I smirked at his habitual quality of worrying over Hinata. "Naruto's not _that_ bad, you know. He's actually really sweet. And you know Hinata really likes him."

"Regrettably," he replied. This time, I frowned.

"But you and Naruto are good friends, I mean-"

"Yes, but I still don't approve of him as Hinata-sama's...as her..."

"Boyfriend?"

"Precisely."

I laughed. He frowned more, but it resembled a pout. He sighed as if in defeat.

"Well, I suppose Naruto's better than the last one," he stated. I looked at him curiously.

"Who?"

Neji seemed to shudder.

"That _dog_," he muttered vaguely. I paused to contemplate who he was referring to, when it suddenly elucidated.

Kiba.

I felt nostalgic as I was suddenly plunged into memories of our genin days. Hinata had been shier, Naruto had been just as boisterous, and Neji had constantly talked about destiny.

Then I remembered Kiba. Memories of him and Shino and Hinata training and hanging out with each other as a team suddenly flooded my mind. Akamaru was miniscule compared to his size now. I smiled a little at the thought. The enormous dog that had knocked me over a few nights ago had been a tiny puppy.

Suddenly, I remembered something different. It was something I had forgotten about.

Kiba used to have a crush on Hinata.

I mentally froze as I recollected this fact. Neji spoke, pulling me out of my daydream.

"You're right. Naruto truly isn't that bad. Kiba, that unruly animal...at least _he_ never got to confess his feelings to Hinata-sama. That would have been far worse."

I blinked. _Neji...dislikes Kiba...?_

"Well, you know, he's not that bad...that Kiba...he's a pretty well-rounded guy. I mean...he's probably a lot different from how you remember him...he's grown up a lot - probably, but I wouldn't really know because I don't...really...talk to him anymore..." I finished awkwardly.

"Hn."

* * *

After training, I walked back home by myself, tired.

After our normal training session, we had met Shikamaru and Choji on our way off the training grounds. Lee dragged me and Neji into another training session with them. A while later, Gai-sensei found us and we were all about to be forced into another rigorous training session. I felt bad for Shikamaru, Choji, and Neji, but I took off before Lee and Gai could push me into it as well. So I found myself walking home alone.

When I reached my porch, I sighed. For some reason, I felt the need to tell Neji about Kiba living in my apartment as my housekeeper. He probably wouldn't care, but I still felt like I should tell him. Maybe this was the result of freshly hearing his negative disposition toward Kiba, but I felt that if he were to accidentally find out, he would be upset with me for associating with someone he didn't particularly like.

I got out my key with some difficulty, fumbling around with the vegetables from earlier today. I unlocked the door, entering the house. Something was wrong. The lights were all off inside. It was evening and the house was dark; the extra training sessions had taken up the entire afternoon. As I walked down the hall, I saw a pulsating light coming from the kitchen. I silently let my vegetables drop to the floor. I left the lights off, not wanting to reveal my presence as I approached, stepping cautiously with a kunai in my hand. I suspected a robber was here.

Upon entering the dark kitchen, I saw an eerie silhouette lighting candles on the counter. The mysterious figure turned to me as they sensed my presence.

"Oh, it's you, Tente-" he began, but I cut him off by grabbing him and shoving him against the wall behind him. I held the kunai to his throat.

"Wait!" he cried. He lit a candle in his hands between us, illuminating his face. I blinked, letting him go.

"Kiba?" I asked, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"The crazy lady from next door came by while you were gone and screamed that the power was going to be out until next morning," he explained. "She literally screamed in my ear. She's really scary, you kno-"

"Well, what are you doing creeping around in the kitchen?"

"I was lighting candles," he replied matter-of-factly. He did his distinguishing lopsided grin. "I have a surprise for you."

"Well...give it to me, then..." I said a bit too bluntly. He laughed, sniffing the air.

"Go take a shower first," he suggested. He drew closer and sniffed the air near my neck. "You smell like onions and garlic and soil mixed with sweat."

I pulled away from his skilled nose, frowning at him. "You're so sincere," I said sardonically. Then I tried to explain why I smelled like crap. "It's because Lee made us train for an extra five hours."

He nodded and smiled, pinching his nose while giving me a push toward my room.

"Go take care of the vegetables," I ordered. He gave me a really silly look. "Just go to the front door and you'll know what I'm talking about."

Twenty minutes later, I came back out in some pajamas with my hair still damp. I realized the pajamas would probably make me look ridiculous in front of the mutt, but I decided I craved comfort over pride at the moment. My limbs were about to fall off from the extra training. Kiba smirked when he saw me.

"Flannel," he said, referring to my pajama bottoms. Then he sarcastically added, "That's so elegant."

"Shut up," I commanded. "What's this surprise, anyways?"

"I'm going to give you another lesson to better your love life."

I groaned. _No..._

"How about we do this next week? Or the week after that? Or preferably never-"

"Stop being so grumpy about everything," he said, grinning. He gestured to the kitchen counter.

I hadn't realized two things. Firstly, I hadn't realized that the room was now noticeably less dim. Candles were floating everywhere around the kitchen. It was stunning. Flames of light glowed softly against the dark and the walls at different heights. They radiated a warm, quixotic ambiance. Some rested on tables and countertops, and a few were placed on the windowsill. The room was filled with a mixture of scents, but the most distinct one was of roses.

The second thing I had failed to realize was how appallingly hungry I was. The training had seriously carved the energy out of me. I took my gaze away from the breathtaking decoration of candles and focused it on what he was gesturing to.

The kitchen counter was loaded with food. Two wine glasses were sitting on each side of the counter, and the stools were set for two. A bottle of nice red wine stood at the center of the table.

I was flabbergasted. I looked back at him. "Wh...How did you...?"

He pulled out the frilly, pastel apron. "I told you, it's just one of my many skills."

I broke into a smile. "So is this the surprise? Because I'm starving."

He shook his head. "Nope. The surprise is that I'm going to teach you what to do on a dinner date."

I frowned. I wished I hadn't admitted I was hungry.

"How about we eat first...and then you can teach-"

"No, you're not getting out of this one," he said slyly. I sulked.

"Fine, but make this nonsense brief so I can go to sleep."

He laughed. He went to the counter and pulled a stool out for me. Reluctantly, I sat down as he made his way to the other side.

I immediately began eating, stuffing a giant chunk of steak in my mouth. He snorted.

"No wonder you don't get dates," he exclaimed. "You eat like a pig."

He poured some of the red wine in my glass, and then poured some into his own. I downed all of mine at once, being extremely thirsty from training. I poured a little more.

"Hey!" I shouted, pointing my fork at his head. "You try training with Rock Lee for over seven hours and see if _you're_ not hungry enough to eat like a pig. Heck, try just being around both Lee and Neji for an entire day and see what happens! You'd be famished, too."

He reached over with both hands and took the fork, which was still aimed at his head, out of my hand. I had been waving it around in the air in front of his face, as if it would help prove my point. He gently removed it from my grasp with his right hand and placed it back on the table, next to my knife. His left hand suddenly took hold of my hand. His right hand soon returned to rest on top of mine. I blinked and swallowed my mouthful of food loudly. He was holding my hand.

"Inuzuka, what do you think you're do-"

Abruptly, one of his hands left mine to put a finger on my lips.

"Shhh...Tenten, this might happen if you go on a date. Holding hands is a pretty common form of flirting."

I glared. "Yeah, well then why're you holding mine, moron?"

He laughed softly, letting go of my hand and recoiling back to his seat. "And that's exactly how you _fail_ a date."

I stuffed more food in my mouth. "I don't _fail_ at dating. I'm just not really interested in it."

"I know it's because of lack of interest...but it's probably not _your_ lack of interest..."

I glowered at him. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means...that you don't display any of the qualities guys look for in a datable girl."

"Like what?" I challenged. He cleared his throat dramatically, as if preparing to give a long list of attributes I lacked. In fact, he did just that.

"Charm, sociability, femininity, shyness, ladylike manners, you don't strive to appear cute in any way, you lack intuition, you don't try to show sex appeal, you-"

"WHAT!" I roared, banging my fists against the table. He flinched.

"Well...I think you get the idea-"

"Watch it," I warned. He snorted, making me glare. For about ten minutes, we ate in silence. It really wasn't a bad silence, it was a peaceful one. I finished my second glass.

"What kind of qualities do you look for in guys anyway?" he asked casually. I chewed keenly.

"Why do you care?"

"I told you already, I've decided I'm gonna help you."

"You say that like you think you _can_ help me."

He smirked. "So you admit that you _do_ need help..."

I blinked. _Damn..._

"Whatever," I replied brusquely. He laughed.

"So what is your type? Do you even have a type?" he asked intrusively. Suddenly, he cringed. "Is _Neji_ your type?"

"What's wrong with Neji?"

"He's so tense and stuffy and uptight all the time. And he's not exactly a joy to be around."

I thought about it for a moment; he had a viable point. Neji really _wasn't_ a joy to be around. But maybe that was just part of why I liked him to begin with. I liked all of him, and that included his bad-tempered, "tense and stuffy and uptight" mannerisms and personality. That was who he was. Besides, he wasn't nearly as uptight as he was when we were kids. And he was definitely more than that. At times, he could even be sensitive and passionate as well. Not to mention attractive, sexy, clever, hot, smoldering...

"But he's smart, talented, and level-headed...unlike _some people_..." I retorted, clearly stabbing at him. He grinned and came back at me with a sarcastic remark.

"Wow, no wonder people like you, you're not rude at all."

"Ah, but you are," I shot back, mostly joking. He ignored me.

"So _that's_ your type..." he stated. He seemed frustrated. I was almost done with my meal.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked. I took the last bite of my steak, eyeing his from across the table. I added, "Are you gonna finish that?"

He slid his half-eaten steak to my side of the table. I didn't mind that it was partially-eaten by him; I was more urgently distressed by the remaining hunger in my stomach.

He bit his lip. "It's just that…this'll be a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Why?" I asked my mouth full of food. He sighed.

"Neji's type is the hardest type to get."

"Why?"

"I don't know exactly why," he started. "But girls just always love those kinds of guys. I guess they ignore the fact that they're snobbish jerks who act like they have a stick up their-"

"Look, you didn't hear Hinata the other day, but Neji's getting marrie-" I began to say it but quickly placed my hands over my mouth. He stared at me.

"You have a crush on Neji...and he's...getting _married_!"

"No, I didn't...I wasn't supposed to say-"

"So that's why you were crying..."

"I wasn't crying!"

"Yeah...of course you weren't..."

"Hey! I wasn't supposed to tell you. I just...I don't know," I suddenly noticed an odd heat had crept into my cheeks. "Oh my god, I'm already drunk, aren't I? No wonder I just-I can't believe I just told you..."

Kiba chuckled, taking a sip of wine. "Yeah, you were drinking pretty fast...even before you finished the steak."

I sighed. "Yeah, well you can't tell anyone."

He nodded. "So...are you...I mean do you still...?'

"Yup," I said, nodding slowly. I grinned, feeling happy all of a sudden. I took another sip of wine. "But I still like Neji. He's the best!"

Kiba seemed to be trying to suppress laughter. He looked a bit blurred, and I put my glass down, realizing I had already had several. I sighed sadly, suddenly feeling a wave of melancholy sweep over me.

"But he's getting married. M-R-A-R-I-E-D..." I spelled lethargically. "Married..."

Kiba gave a low laugh. "M-A-R-R-I-E-D," he corrected.

"Yes. That," I agreed. "And he won't ever...know...about...me...liking him..."

Kiba didn't laugh this time. I grabbed the bottle and began to chug it, not bothering to pour it into the glass. Kiba gently took it from me.

"Hey!" I bellowed, reaching for the glass. I think I missed. Kiba set the bottle on another counter, next to the sink, got up from his stool, and came over to my side. He took my arm and put it around his neck. I squirmed.

"Hold still," he said softly. I pouted.

"Hey, you better not be thinking of doing anything _funny_ to me, Mister!"

He chuckled again. "Trust me, Tenten, something '_funny_' is the last thing I'm thinking of doing to you right now..."

I murmured something incoherent at him as he helped me up, using his arm around my neck and my arm around his to support me.

The last thing I remembered from the night was Kiba tucking me in and leaving my room.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Next chapter will be updated sooner than this time. Once again, I'm really sorry for the wait...but I hope I did make up for it a little with the extra 4,000 words or so...over 9,700 total according to the word count...**

**PLEASE review! I don't even care if you criticize the entire story thus far in the harshest and cruelest way possible!**

**Okay...actually, I **_**will**_** care...but please review! I enjoy hearing your opinions! They usually **_**do**_** affect how I plan the rest of the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry! I know it took months for me to update! I know I have no excuses...but I had to write this chapter three times on account of it being erased twice!

It definitely isn't what it originally was...but I tried my best to restore it to its initial quality. Unfortunately, I had to split the original chapter in half...so now the scene this chapter leaves off at must be continued in Chapter 6...

Anyway...sorry for the hiatus...and now...without further ado...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 5

The next morning, my sleep was terminated by a mild throbbing sensation in my head. I groaned and reluctantly opened my eyes for a brief moment, getting a meager glance of the digital clock on the little table beside my bed. It was a bit past noon, and infuriatingly bright, white sunlight was streaming through my window. I shut my eyes again and was about to resume sleeping, when they suddenly shot wide open again in panic. Why was my head throbbing…? And why wasn't I at training?

I sat up in my bed and shook my pulsating head lethargically, trying to remember. My memory failed to produce any knowledge of what had happened the previous night, although the throbbing made me suspect I had been drinking a bit.

I sighed and rolled out of my bed languidly. I shuffled crankily to the bedroom door, still half-asleep with my eyes nearly closed. About halfway to the door, I tripped on some invisible obstacle studded in the carpet and stubbed my toe. I growled at both my aching toe and throbbing head, before hopping to the door on one foot.

Crossly, I threw the door open and stormed into the kitchen. As soon as I did, pieces of the missing memories flooded my mind. There had been enchanting candles, and red wine, and the best steak…

The candles and red wine were gone and the dishes from dinner had been cleared. The only thing that seemed to remain as evidence of the night before was a lingering rose scent. I frowned. What exactly had happened here?

"Kiba!" I yelled in a frustrated tone. "KIBA!"

There was no response. I was about to plod to the guest room and angrily knock on his door when I caught something in the corner of my eye. It was a note. I stumbled to the kitchen counter and picked it up. It was written in bright green marker and a giant smiley face had been drawn at the bottom. It said:

_Hey! You finally woke up. I'm so proud of you._

_Stop freaking out about training because I called Hinata. Hinata called Gai and told him you had a last-minute medical check-up to go to._

_I went to go check on Akamaru. I'll be back around 1:00, so "just stay inside where no one can see you and don't burn the house down."_

_-Kiba_

I blinked. He had quoted me. I was about to crumple the note up when I froze and cringed. My entire memory of the night before returned in a single surge. They flashed before my eyes and danced around me in vivid, colorful, and hideously embarassing scenes. I suddenly remembered everything I had said.

I had admitted...that I liked Neji..._crap..._

I got drunk and he had helped me to my room and tucked me in..._how embarassing..._

I had told him that Neji's getting married..._NOOOOO!_

I huffily stomped out of the kitchen and into my living room. Irritated, I plopped down onto a raggedy sofa cushion and sulked. It wasn't fair. He knew far too much about me and I knew almost nothing about him. Gai had taught me once that "you must know more about the enemy than the enemy knows about you."

Suddenly, a sneaky idea crept into my mind.

Stealthily, I got up from the tattered couch and tiptoed to the guest room. Precariously, I opened the door and infiltrated Kiba's room.

I was surprised when I found that the room was actually extremely clean and suspiciously well-kept. The bed was made and Kiba's few items were organized neatly around the room. I sniffed the air cautiously. It smelled like him, but it was a fresh, pleasant smell. I almost let myself enjoy the distinctive scent, but stopped abruptly when I remembered the day Ino came for her coffeemaker. I shuddered. She had thought this smell was attractive. _That's because she didn't know it was __him_, I told myself.

I was about to leave the room, finding nothing especially intriguing, when I spied something that caught my attention. Something small, shiny and black was sitting inconspicuously on the guest room bed. It was his phone. He must have been in a hurry to see Akamaru, because he had left it behind.

Warily, I peeked outside the room to make sure Kiba was still absent. Then, I furtively went over to the bed and picked the phone up using my thumb and forefinger, being careful not to knock anything over or wreck the tidiness of the bed.

The phone was unlocked, and I smirked as I went straight to his contacts list. Despite the fact that I found him obnoxious, ungrateful, and somewhat detestable, I was still curious to see how he had listed me in his contacts.

"Hana, Hanabi, Haruko, Harumi, Hinata, Hitomi..." I read as I scrolled through the names. I frowned as I got further into the list. "They're almost all girls' names," I remarked. I shook my head disapprovingly. "I knew it! He's totally a player!"

I was starting to scroll faster through the dull, mind-numbing names when I found an interesting one.

"'Old Maid...?'" I mumbled. I checked the number and scowled when I realized it was mine.

"Old Maid! How offensive!" I snapped.

I blinked. I reminded myself that I put him in my own contacts list as "Mutt." I sighed and decided we were even.

I abandoned the contacts list and went to his most recent text. It was from him to his sister, Hana. It said:

_Hey Hana. How are you doing? Is everything alright? And how's Akamaru?_

_I promise I'll bring some cheesecake with bacon and pickles next time. :)_

I raised a brow. Cheesecake with bacon and pickles?

Before I could ponder about the strange combination any further, I heard the front door creak open. I frantically went back to the phone's main screen and tossed it back on the bed before scurrying out of the room. I ran nervously to the kitchen counter, sat on a stool, and tryed to appear composed by looking out the window in what I hoped was a natural and relaxed manner. At that moment, Kiba entered the kitchen. His unwavering, lopsided grin beamed at me.

"Hey, did you read the note?" he asked as he unwrapped the scarf around his neck. I noticed my hands were getting clammy and tried not to seem guilty or unnatural. I smiled.

"Uh...note? Yeah...yes...I, uh...I read the note! It was a very good note! It was so good that I...I just read it over and over again this entire time! In fact, I...I read it so many times that I just did NOT have time to sneak into-uh...do anything else!"

He gave me a weird look and smirked. "When you talk, do you hear how weird you sound or do you just hear normal speech?"

"Normal speech," I answered without thinking. He burst into laughter as I became conscious of my error. I coughed in an effort to alleviate some of my humiliation.

"I'm hungry!" I barked as he attempted but failed to stop laughing. "Breakfast. Now!"

I glared and waited as he quieted down.

"Sure," he replied. "but before breakfast, I'm afraid we have to have another lesson."

"What lesson?"

"Remember? A lesson that will better your nonexistent love-life-"

"Ugh. Fine! Let's just get this over with!" I snarled. He seemed to sneer as he suddenly ran out of the room and came back with a box. I eyed it apprehensively.

"What's that?"

"You'll see. I stopped at Hinata's on my way back and she gave me these. We both think you need some help using these."

"Well, what are th-"

He cut me off by promptly forcing me off of the stool and dragging me to the living room.

* * *

"Hell no."

"Just try."

I shook my head firmly and folded my arms in disdain. "Absolutely not."

Kiba was holding the box, which was now open, in front of me. Inside was a pair of the strappiest red stiletto pumps I had ever seen. The heels were ridiculously thin and tall. If I were to wear them, it would be like a mouse setting its own trap.

"Come on, Tenten. You know you need this help."

I bit my lip. He and Hinata were right. I did need help with this. But certainly not now...and from _him _of all people. Kiba sighed in exasperation.

"Tenten, don't let your pride stop you from letting me help you."

I froze. That phrase...where have I heard that before?

Suddenly, I remembered earlier in the week when I had eaten dinner with Neji at La Maisonette. When I had insisted on paying for my meal, he had said the same thing.

_"Tenten, don't let your pride interfere with letting other people help you."_

His words rang in my head and stayed there until Kiba intrusively waved his hand in front of my face.

"Hey, you were staring off into space...are you trying to think of a way to get out of this? Because it's not like you have to do it, you know. I'm not going to force y-"

"Enough already!" I snapped. "Fine, I'll do it!"

He grinned as I rolled my eyes and unwillingly took the hazardous shoes. I sat down on a green, wooden chair and hastily put them on. When I finished, I squirmed a little bit; they were even more uncomfortable than I had imagined.

"Man, these things are straightjackets for your fe-"

Kiba abruptly bent down and gently took the shoes off my feet. I watched attentively, partly in curiosity and partly in mortification, as he put them on again in the proper way. I felt heat rush to my face as I realized I had switched left and right.

When he stood again, he was sporting a strange expression. It looked like he was trying to stifle laughter. I pouted.

"That could have happened to anyone!" I stated adamantly. He snorted.

"Sure..." he replied sarcastically, heading to the opposite side of the room. "Okay, now SLOWLY and CAREFULLY try walking over to where I am."

I frowned but nodded and shakily stood from the green chair. Hesitantly, I took one gawky step forward, followed by another one. And another.

I was nearly halfway across the room when the heel of the perilous shoe suddenly got caught in the thick, maroon, twine-like loop carpet that covered my living room floor. I gasped, but no sound escaped my mouth as my foot bent sideways and I lost my balance. I felt myself falling and instinctively closed my eyes, waiting for an imminent collision with the floor.

But it never came.

After a few seconds, I realized I wasn't falling and opened my eyes. Kiba was hovering over me, watching intently. I blinked. He had stopped my fall, and was holding me as if we were dancing and he was dipping me. I had instinctively thrown my arms around his neck. For a moment, we just stared. Without warning, I suddenly yelled at him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The sheer force of my volume shocked him so much that he let go of me and jumped away. I quickly fell to the floor; my butt hitting the floor with a thud. I glared at him. "WHY'D YOU LET GO!"

He blinked before glowering back. "Because you screamed at-"

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" I shouted irritably.

"What! How is this my faul-"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THIS SHOE THING!"

"SEE THIS IS WHY YOU'RE ALONE! YOU'RE DESTINED TO BE AN OLD MA-"

"SHUT UP!"

"STOP YELLING!"

"THIS IS MY HOUSE! I CAN YELL IF I WANT! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SHOULD STOP YELLING!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT! THEN I'LL LEAVE!"

"GO AHEAD! IT'S NOT LIKE I INVITED YOU HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"I WOULD HAVE NEVER COME HERE IF HANA WASN-"

He stopped yelling. I glared as he lowered his gaze. When he looked at me again, I instantly stopped glaring. He was giving me a sad, apologetic look, but when I saw it, I couldn't help laughing. It reminded me of a look a puppy would give its owner after it soils the couch. He started apologizing.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I sa-"

He stopped. He raised a brow and watched in complete confusion as I started laughing, still on the floor.

"Tenten...?" he asked uncertainly. His concerned reaction made it worse and I found myself trying to explain between chuckles.

"Sorry! Hahahaa...It's just...haha...you looked so...hahahaha..." I managed to say. When I could finally speak coherently, he was looking at me like I had lost whatever traces of sanity he thought I had posessed before. I cleared my throat.

"Kiba," I said regretfully. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said before. And I didn't mean to laugh...I just...never mind...but anyway, I'm sorry."

He stared at me for a while. Suddenly, he stuck his hand out and grinned. I blinked when I realized I was still sitting on the floor and took his hand. He pulled me up and helped me walk over to the green chair to take the shoes off.

He laughed when I immediately tugged the dastardly contraptions off my feet and exhaled in relief.

"I think that was enough practice for today," he declared. I nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"I definitely concur! I'd rather-"

I was interrupted by a loud, hungry grumbling sound from my stomach. Kiba laughed.

"Let me guess...you'd rather eat lunch, huh?" he teased. I nodded sheepishly.

He shook his head before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the kitchen.

* * *

The following day, it was just me and Rock Lee at training. Neji was absent because he was on an A-rank mission. I sparred with Lee five times and lost four times. It was mostly because I had missed training yesterday, and I tried to convince myself it wasn't because my mind was stuck on Neji's absence.

When I returned home, I discovered something that made me furious. I found Kiba in my room. He was turned the other way scribbling something in a small memopad when I entered the room. He noticed my presence and turned around.

"Oh, hey Tenten. How was tr-"

"WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM!"

"Oh...about that...I just happened to realize th-"

"I TOLD YOU! YOU ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING MY ROOM!"

"Tenten...calm down. This was for the bet," he explained. I watched in horror as he went over to my closet and opened the door. My eyes widened in trauma.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

Kiba cringed. "It was Hinata's idea!"

My clothes were nowhere to be seen. The entire closet was filled with strange pieces of colorful fabric that I could only _presume_ were indeed...articles of clothing.

I felt the blood under my skin boil and it must have been reflected in my expression because Kiba looked uncomfortable. Instantly, I charged at him.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT! WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!" I roared as I launched a series of punches and a roundhouse kick. He blocked the punches and narrowly dodged the kick as I pulled out two kunai knives and began chasing him around the room with it.

"Tenten!" he cried. "It's really not that bad! I think-"

I cut him off by throwing a kunai. He quickly avoided it, and it landed on the carpet behind him. I ran toward him with the remaining kunai and sliced at him five times, but he dodged them and ran to the other side of the room. I was about to throw the knife when he suddenly tackled me to the ground and confiscated the knife.

"TENTEN! Listen!" he yelled. "I get that you're upset but could you please listen to me WITHOUT USING YOUR WEAPO-"

"Fine! Just...get off!" I groused. He blinked when he realized he was sitting on me and hurriedly got off. I watched in annoyance as he quickly darted to the other side of the room, collected the other kunai, and darted back. He gave me a skeptical look.

"If you promise to put them away, I'll give them back," he reasoned. I pouted but nodded reluctantly. He carefully handed me the kunai knives and I returned them to their pouch. He seemed relieved.

"Alright," he stated. "Now Hinata thought that maybe we needed to fix your, uh...choice in clothes a little bit."

"How is this different from getting a makeover!"

"Because if it wasn't Hinata...and it was...say Ino and Sakura...I believe they would have done something much, much worse."

I pondered this thought for a second, then decided to accept that much. "Fine. But I'm still mad! Nothing was wrong with me to begin with!"

"Well, actually I've always thought you had a horrible sense of sty..." he trailed off when I gave him a dirty look.

"I _liked_ my old clothes!"

"That's the scary part," he muttered. I was about to yell at him when he proceeded. "Tenten, the only things I've ever seen you wear these days are sweats and flannel."

"Well, what's wrong with that!"

"I don't even know why you wear baggy old clothing like that. You didn't dress like that when we were teenagers. I mean, look at what you're wearing right now!"

I blinked. It was true. I had really lost my sense of self-presentation ever since my parents had passed away, although I hated to admit it. My throat parched as I glanced down. I was wearing an oversized gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants. The sweatshirt had a hole the size of my fist in one sleeve and the string around the hood was missing. The pants were about three inches too long so I had rolled them up and stapled them.

"And why is everything gray or black?" he continued. "And loose. I bet it'd be baggy on me...it'd probably look baggy on Jiraiy-"

"So what's your point!"

"The point is..." he said. "That you didn't own anything you could possibly wear on a date...let alone anything attracti-"

"Well then you could have just asked me to buy a skirt or something...you didn't need to dispose of everything I own! How am I going to go to traini-"

"We didn't throw away _everything_!" he claimed. "We kept some of your stuff for you to train in."

I sighed and folded my arms uncomfortably. I felt like I was about to cry, so I averted my gaze by looking at the floor. Suddenly, Kiba slapped my back heartily.

"But seriously Tenten," he said. "I don't get why you wear such baggy clothes. It's not like you have anything to hide."

I blinked and looked up from the floor. He was grinning sheepishly. I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean!"

He smirked. "Why? Do you have something to hide, Tenten?"

I scoffed in disbelief at his brazen question. I was about to start yelling again when he began to circle around me. I stopped and watched him distrustfully. "What are you doing?"

"Hmmm...I remember this girl named Hitomi that I used to date. Before I dated her, she wore really baggy clothing, too. But then she stopped wearing baggy clothing and that revealed a lot more about her."

"What?" I asked impatiently. "That she had a lot of self-confidence or someth-"

"Nope," he said from behind me. I could tell he was smirking and I scowled at his ambiguous, unclear intentions. "You see, it revealed that she had...nothing to hide," he said, still behind me.

He made a full circle around before stopping in front of me. He was grinning mischievously. "Yeah, from what I can see through the bagginess back there, I don't think you have anything to hide either."

I blinked as I comprehended the meaning of his farcical words. He was laughing. When it dawned on me that he meant Hitomi had a nice body, I pulled my kunai knives out again.

"Curiosity killed the cat, but it looks like _I'm_ gonna kill the mutt!" I hollered visciously. His eyes widened.

"Tenten, calm down, I was just kiddi-"

I didn't let him finish and charged at him. For the next hour, I chased him around the house with various weapons.

* * *

After the lapse of an hour, we both called a truce. Kiba prepared food and we decided to establish a ceasefire as we ate dinner.

After eating, I flopped onto a rather dilapidated set of cushions on the couch and he staggered behind me. He was about to sit next to me when I pointed to a miniscule plastic stool next to me. He sighed and reluctantly balanced himself onto the tiny stool. For a while, we were both still and silent.

"Tenten?" he asked suddenly. I looked at him in inquiry. He asked, "Are you okay?"

"What? About the wardrobe thing? Yeah, I gue-"

"I mean about this week in general. I know it's been pretty crazy for you, you know?"

I thought about what he had just said. It truly had been a crazy week.

"Other than finding out my crush is getting married, having my scrolls destroyed, making an impossible bet, having to deal with an irrational roommate, and having the majority of my clothes thrown out...yeah...I guess I'm perfectly fine," I said, mostly joking. It must have sounded like a genuine grievance, though, because Kiba looked somewhat remorseful.

"Sorry," he replied. "I'm sorry everything ended up like that."

I at once shook my head. "Oh...no, I was just joking, I didn't mean it was that unbearab-"

Suddenly, he shot up, knocking the plastic stool over. I blinked at the unexpected action. He grinned down at me.

"Let's go!" he said, pulling me up. I frowned.

"Where?"

"Outside."

I groaned. "Whyyyy? It's cold."

Kiba laughed as he forced me to put my coat on.

* * *

Within fifteen minutes, we were walking down the street. It was fairly dark outside and snow was falling lightly. I looked up toward the sky and found that small, glistening flakes were swirling above us. I stuck my tongue out and managed to catch a few. I glanced at Kiba. He was doing the same, although he had caught most of his snowflakes on his eyelashes. I laughed.

Soon, we were on the main streets of Konoha. There weren't very many people on the streets. As we walked further, I noticed we were walking uphill, and realized we were walking up the same hill where Neji had saved me from being run over by a giant cart of vegetables. I smiled as we trekked past it and into a rather unfamiliar district.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously as we suddenly turned a corner onto a new block. My eyes widened. It was one of the brightest streets I had ever seen. Neon signs radiated colorful messages and the entire street was lined with bars and nightclubs. I raised a brow and tugged on Kiba's sleeve.

"Wait...we're not going to a bar, are we?"

"That's exactly where I'm going. I'm going to a bar with this weird friend I have."

"Where am I supposed to go!" I asked. "And as your boss, I will absolutely NOT condone any despicable behavior like you coming back to the house drunk with drunken friends and dubious women with questionable decenc-"

He laughed. "Relax, Tenten. When I said 'friend,' I meant you."

I blinked before forcing myself to laugh as well. "I knew that! I was obviously joking too."

Kiba chuckled darkly, mocking me. "Ahahahaha-no you weren't."

I was about to say something shockingly caustic and witty when he suddenly turned into a bar under a flashing neon sign. I hesitated to follow him.

"Come on, Tenten! It's not like you've never been to a bar before!"

That was true. I had been to bars on multiple occasions. Of course, that had always been in large groups of people I knew well. I had accompanied Gai and Lee, Sakura, Kakashi, Sai, Sasuke, Anko and Naruto, Tsunade, Shikamaru, Chouji, Jiraiya and Ino, and even Hinata. But for some reason, I felt tentative about accompanying Kiba. It wasn't that I was reluctant; I was just...shy? No...that couldn't be it...

I inhaled deeply and caught one more snowflake on my tongue before following my friend.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! And once again, sorry about taking so long to update. But I'm back and hopefully, readers will forgive me...?**

**Please review! That always makes me update faster...and I love harsh and unyielding criticism! I also love to just hear what you want to happen next in the story!**

**Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hi, everyone. I decided to attempt to put drama in this chapter...and I just started Chapter 7. LOTS of NejiTen scenes about to unfurl.

Anyways...without further ado...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 6

I sat quietly at the table and watched as a waiter came over to us with a giant jug of beer. Kiba grinned at me.

"You have a lot of wine at home, but I couldn't find a single can of beer," he pointed out. I shrugged.

"I guess I just associate wine with...good memories."

"Like what?" he asked, taking a sip. I did the same. It was ruthlessly bitter and I winced. I thought about how I should answer his question. It was rather personal and I didn't mind him asking, but it was difficult for me to explain. It was something I had never really divulged to anyone.

I took another sip. "My father liked wine better than beer. He just didn't like the taste of beer. I guess...when I'm upset or tired, I drink wine and it reminds me of him."

Kiba nodded. I thought about it some more before downing my entire mug.

"The first time I drank wine was actually..." I paused to pour some more beer. "With Neji. It was his birthday and Lee and Gai were in the hospital. It was just me and him."

Kiba bit his lip. He looked sorry for asking his question, so I smiled.

"Oh, but that was a while ago," I assured. He gave me a somewhat incredulous look.

"You still really like Neji, don't you Tenten?" he asked. His voice was just above a whisper.

I forced myself to laugh. "Well, I thought I did."

"Tenten..."

"No, but I really don't anymore. For real this time! I mean, he's getting married soon. I'm just so, so happy for him."

For an hour or so, we drank some more as Kiba quietly drummed his fingertips on the table.

* * *

"AUUUGGGGHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Tente-"

"I don't even know why I care so much!" I hollered as I violently slammed my mug onto the table. Some beer splashed out of it and foam ran down my hand. Kiba blinked before calling the bartender for some napkins.

"Tenten, relax," he whispered. "You're drinking awfully fast...are you su-"

"AND WHY DOESN'T HE JUST _SAY_ THAT HE'S GETTING MARRIED!" I roared. "I had to hear it from his cousin! And I love Hinata but I-"

I hiccupped a few times and Kiba patted my back. The bartender skulked toward us with napkins and took the jug. He looked extremely uncomfortable for some reason but everything seemed blurred. I heard him thank Kiba as he was given a tip and then footsteps as he walked away.

My cheeks felt hot and scorched. The bar looked like it was flashing and getting brighter and dimmer repeatedly. Kiba was wiping my hand with a paper towel. All of a sudden, I felt an irrepressible melancholy consume me. I looked down and pretended to observe the floor beneath the table.

"And I was so..._stupid_," I whispered. "I'm still so stupid..."

I squinted harder at the floor and saw raindrops falling. It took a few seconds for me to understand that I was crying. I peered up again. Kiba was still next to me from wiping my hand, but now he had stopped. He was staring at me with a clouded expression. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Actually at that point, I couldn't tell what anyone was thinking. I could barely even process what I was thinking.

"Tenten, you're not stupid...You're actually too good for any-" he said before sighing. "Never mind, here hold still." I nodded and kept still as he took a fresh paper towel and dabbed at my eyes. Tears were incessantly trailing down my cheeks although I wanted them to stop. For some reason, Kiba looked like he wanted to cry too. I smiled and forced myself to stop crying.

"Have you ever perused the dictionary before, Keeeeebaaaa?" I slurred. He shook his head no. I grinned sheepishly. "I've tried that a lot."

He smiled at me. "Why? Isn't that really boring?"

I nodded my head rapidly in agreeance. "It was sooooo boring. But I read it anyway. For two hours!"

"Why?" he asked, his voice amused. I laughed. Hot tears began to roll down my searing cheeks again.

"I wanted to know," I said quietly. Kiba looked distorted and hazy in front of me. "I wanted to know what that damned word means."

"What word?"

I inhaled deeply and laughed again. "'Hn.'"

Kiba raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Hnnnnnnnn..." I said slowly. "I thought if I knew what it meant...I'd know him too."

Kiba stared at me for a long time before getting up to throw the napkins away. When he came back, he looked somber. I heard a voice calling us.

"Sir," the voice said. "We're closed." I could tell it was the bartender but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Suddenly, the bartender was right beside us. I nodded at him and attempted to get up. My knees buckled and I collapsed to the floor.

"Tenten, are you okay!"

"Owwww..." I moaned, rubbing my knee. Kiba tried to help me stand. I couldn't.

"I really need to lock up, so you're gonna have to get her out somehow," I heard the bartender murmur. Kiba sighed, suddenly crouching in front of me.

"Get on."

I folded my arms and shook my head until I felt the bartender helping me onto Kiba's back.

* * *

"Inuzuka?" I asked from behind him.

"What?" Kiba answered limply. I couldn't see his face, but I assumed he was exhausted. We were going up the hill, and I smiled as I reminisced the day Neji had saved me from the giant vegetable cart.

"I'm really heavy, aren't I?"

For a while, there was no response. I tapped him relentlessly until he answered.

"Yes!" he finally exclaimed. "You're extremely heavy! So stop fidgeting around!"

"Aw...but I like fidgeting...fidget fidget fidget...FIDGET!" I sang. He shook his head. I could tell he was grinning.

"You're so drunk right now."

I frowned. "I am NOT! I'm perfectly sober!"

"Then why don't you walk on your own!" he teased. I smiled. We were going down the hill now.

"Because I like piggyback rides," I said dreamily.

"It's fun for everyone except the piggy," he muttered. I quirked a brow at his shoulder.

"Who? Ino?"

He chuckled. "No, I meant the person who gives the piggyback ride."

"That was my daddy."

"Did your dad give you lots of piggyback rides?"

"All the time," I mumbled. "You're not a puppy...you're a piggy. Just like Ino...no, just like my father."

"Yeah? Tenten, does your father live in Konoha?"

"Yup."

"Where? Is he a shinobi?"

"Yup," I said mindlessly. "He lives under a big oak tree."

"Your house is under a big oak tree, too. But your dad doesn't live with y-"

"My daddy lives under lots of oak trees. Next to mommy," I tried to explain. I felt tears trickling down my cheeks again and I hoped Kiba wouldn't notice his shoulder was wet. "I'm going to live there one day."

Kiba didn't say anything after that as he opened the front door. He carefully navigated through the hall and the kitchen and opened my room door. Gently, he put me down on my bed and tucked me in.

"Good night, Tenten," he said. He looked sad but he grinned as he left, shutting the door behind him.

That was the last thing I saw before my mind faded to unconsciousness.

* * *

"Tenten, if you're done, just open the door."

I took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm done," I announced. I took one last look in the mirror. My long, stubbornly wayward hair was down and brushed and I was wearing dreadfully sticky pink lipstick. Unfortunately, every piece of "clothing" Hinata and Kiba had replaced my _real_ clothes with was too low-cut, short, tight, sheer, lacy, or floral for my liking. I shrugged, shook my hair out one last time, and opened my bedroom door.

I stepped into the kitchen. Kiba was leaning against the kitchen counter, grinning and texting. He looked up from his phone at the sound of the door opening and suddenly froze. His grin disappeared as his eyes scrutinized me carefully. He tilted his head in consideration and for a long time, just stared. I tapped my foot impatiently and he suddenly stopped analyzing.

"Uh...wow...it's uh...it's..._nice_," he said. Then, he sneered. "I guess it's pretty compared to you before."

I glowered at the offensive remark. He laughed nervously. "I mean...you really do look nice!" he said, grinning. Suddenly, he looked perplexed. "But why are you wearing track pants under your skirt?"

I blinked. "I didn't think you'd notice it that much..."

He laughed. "It's just that obvious. I think you should go change or take the pants off," he instructed, stifling what seemed to be more laughter.

I sighed. "But it's cold out and this skirt is way too short," I whined. "I'll look like a weather-confused bum!"

"It goes down to your knees. It's not short," he insisted. "In fact, if I were you, I'd go a little shorter. Guys like it when girls wear short skirts. It's easier to look u-"

I gave him a venomous look of warning. He laughed nervously again.

"I mean...it makes them look uh...uh-appropriately proprotioned."

"I'm keeping the pants."

"You're changing the outfit then?"

"Nope."

"Then you _are _losing the track pan-"

"I REFUSE TO DO EI-"

"Honestly, Tenten, you actually look good in everything. I mean...it's not like it's because you look bad in track pants...I'm just trying to make you experiment with this stuff so you can do it by your-"

"I'm still not changing," I replied obstinately.

Kiba sighed in defeat. "Fine, you don't have to change," he began. I smiled and savored my victory as he popped a piece of candy in his mouth. He smirked. "But I'm not leaving the house until you at least take the track pants off."

* * *

I left the house first. It was almost 6:40 when I found Hinata, Ino, and Sakura outside the predetermined location. I kept trying to pull the skirt hem a little bit lower and Ino would swat my shoulder as discipline. They were all cleverly disguised in coats, makeup and glasses that were subtle, yet still hid their specific identities. Sakura was wearing a wig to hide her astonishingly pink tresses. Hinata had used contact lenses to make her eyes appear blue. When Hinata saw me, her face lit up.

"T-Tenten," she gasped. "You look so...you look very, very nice today!"

Sakura's jaw was hanging open. "You look gorgeous!"

"Oh my freaking god, Tennie, what happened to YOU!" Ino screeched, rubbng her eyes in what I think was disbelief.

"Uh...thanks?" I replied, uncertain as to whether I should be insulted or not. I decided to receive the disputable comment as a compliment. Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Oh!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed. "I think Tenten's date is coming. Hmm...he has an interesting chakra system..." I simpered knowingly; Hinata was actually a very good actress. Kiba was actually just hiding behind a building.

Ino shrieked a little and Sakura squealed. "Who is he!" Ino demanded.

"Is he cute?" Sakura asked, giggling. I smirked. _Not in the least..._

"Ummm...I...I can't tell from this far. It could be him...or the man in the tie..." Hinata said, pretending to search for my date. "Or the man with the red hat or the man carrying a box or my cous-huh-AGHCK!" Hinata choked suddenly and deactivated her Byakugan.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked frightened, but suddenly seemed to regain her composure and smiled.

"Ummm...h-how about we go to a d-different restaurant?" she suggested. Ino shook her head fervently.

"No way! I spent half-an-hour on hold to get reservations here! And besides, how is Tenten's date going to find her if we take her to a different restaurant!"

Hinata seemed extremely nervous. "Umm...right...y-yes...so...Tenten's date is almost here. M-maybe we should go...go inside..."

Ino shrugged and briskly turned to go in, Sakura following her.

Hinata quickly came next to me. "Tenten, we have to be careful because inside the restaura-" Just as Hinata was about to finish, Ino and Sakura pulled me and Hinata respectively into the restaurant with them.

* * *

We entered the restaurant and then seperated. Ino, Sakura, and Hinata sat across the room from me, at an inconspicuous little table in the corner. As I made my way to my own seat, I observed Hinata's facial expression intently as it changed from nervous to frantic. I mouthed "what's wrong?" and raised a brow. Suddenly, she began flailing her arms in front of her and tapped Ino and Sakura. They looked up. Soon they were all flailing their arms and mouthing something. _What were they saying? Sketchy? Edgy? _I watched them and tried to figure out what they were saying as I walked. Unfortunately, because I was watching them, I forgot to watch where I was going.

"Oops, sorry," I said automatically when I bumped into someone. I looked up to see the person I had bumped into. "Sorry, I was-"

I stopped talking as soon as I realized who it was.

Neji was standing there with his arms folded. His expression was aggravated and he looked like he was gritting his teeth in extreme annoyance, or even agony. I stared at him, and he glanced down at me. Suddenly, his expression shifted and for a fraction of a second, he looked shocked. Then, the familiar cold, standoffish look returned to his beautiful eyes. I felt him take notice of my loose hair as he examined me from head to toes.

"Tenten," he said quietly. "You look-"

"Oh, Neji! Honey, is this one of your ninja friends?" A loud, stringy voice abruptly interrupted him. Just then, my nostrils picked up the pungent, dizzying smell of sharp, expensive perfume and I finally noticed there was someone standing next to him. A tall, unbelievably slender woman with shoulder-length black hair was there. She was strikingly beautiful, and her features were all terribly sharp and clean. She pursed her bright red lips before smiling up at Neji, batting her long, dark lashes. "Do you know her?" she repeated, without looking at me. Neji turned away a little, as if to avoid her searching violet eyes.

"She's my old teammate and close friend," he muttered. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in an exaggerated flourish.

"Oh...is that so?" she asked. It was only then that she turned toward me, acknowledging my presence. She smiled, but for some reason it looked delusive to me. She brushed Neji's sleeve with her finger. "What was her name again?"

I forced myself to smile back. "Oh, hi, I'm Tente-"

"Oh, right, _Ten_ten. How could I forget! Neji told me about you."

I blinked. "He...did?"

She nodded and batted her eyelashes at him again before turning back to face me. "Of course. I saw his team picture. Unruly brown bangs, those distressed doe eyes, and muddled expression. Oh, you _must_ be her."

"Uh...yeah. I guess I am-"

"I'm Rina," she purred. "Neji's _fiance."_

I stopped breathing. My throat hurt and I felt tears forming in my eyes, so I quickly feigned interest in the clock hanging on the wall next to us. The room seemed to grow dim. Sharp, excruciating pangs started in my chest. It felt like my heart was bleeding.

"Oh," I croaked, my voice coming out hoarse. I cleared my throat, making the pangs worse. "I...I-I see-"

"Neji, she's just _adorable._ And so bright and cheery. And I thought she'd be pitifully sad when Hiashi told me you had an _orphan_ girl on your team."

I choked on nothing at the word orphan and started coughing uncontrollably, doubled over. I felt like throwing up. I heard Neji's voice cut in under the coughs.

"Rina-san! Watch your words." he snapped severely. He stepped toward me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Tenten, are you alright?"

Just then someone patted my back with such force that I lost my cough. Neji and I both looked up. Kiba was standing behind me, grinning. He helped me up and laughed.

"Sorry I'm late, Tenten," he said brightly. I looked down to make sure blood wasn't seeping out of me.

"Inuzuka," Neji said caustically. He eyed Kiba with disdain. Kiba ignored him.

"Hi, Neji. And...?" he trailed off, referring to Rina. Neji opened his mouth to respond, but Rina pushed herself forward and introduced herself.

"I'm Rina Mori, Neji's _fiance_," she answered. Realization struck Kiba's face and he glanced at me.

"I'm Kiba. I'm Tenten's date."

Neji glared. He suddenly began to turn and walk away. "Rina-san, let's go."

Before he could leave, Rina grabbed his hand tenaciously in her long, manicured fingers and linked arms with him, hindering him from walking away. "Neji, since we happened to meet your friends here, why don't we invite them to eat with us?" she suggested innocently. "Unless, of course, there's a reason not to."

Neji became perfectly still, as if his muscles had become tense, before looking to me. His eyes pierced through me, as if searching for something. I silently stared back until he turned back to Rina.

"There's no reason not to."

* * *

We sat, uncomfortably silent, as we waited for the food to come. Ino, Sakura, and Hinata were now ogling at us with panicked, anxious expressions. I silently exhaled and drank my second glass of water. Rina smiled at me.

"So how long have you been dating?" she asked nosily. I set my glass of water down as lightly as I could possibly manage.

"This is the first time," I answered flatly. She did her exaggerated gasp again. I started to drink some more water.

"Oh, I hope we're not bothering y-"

"Nah, it's fine!" Kiba interjected. Neji was glaring at Kiba with such an intensity that I half-expected him to burn to ashes right next to me. I was sitting next to Kiba and across from Neji, who was sitting next to Rina.

"I remember my first date with Neji," she asserted. "He was so sweet."

I accidentally snorted at the absurd, obvious lie while I was drinking water and coughed. Rina looked disgusted as Kiba patted my back again. He chuckled anxiously.

"Ha...she does this a lot...breaking out in random coughs."

Rina laughed. Her laugh sounded like glass shattering. All of a sudden, she stopped laughing and put on a facade of concern.

"I hope she doesn't cough _too_ often," she said, giving me a look of pity. "I heard orphans often suffer malnourishment and disea-"

"Rina!" Neji snapped. I hadn't seen him so emotional since the day he saved me from being squashed by the enormous vegetable cart.

"No, she's extremely healthy!" Kiba exclaimed, looking somewhat annoyed for some reason. "When she sleeps, not even her own snoring can wake her up, and she eats like a pig! Three bowls of noodles in under fifteen min-"

I kicked him under the table to make him shut up. I shot him a look to say, _Shut up! I don't snore!_

He sent one back saying, _But you do eat like a pig._

I rolled my eyes as the waiter came with our food.

"Don't eat too fast this time, Tintin; I'm afraid you'll choke," Rina purred. I glared at her and opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind when Kiba laughed.

"Yeah, well, _TEN_ten, do you know what they say about girls with a good appetite?" Kiba asked. I looked at him curiously.

"What?"

"Just that. They have an appetite for _everything_," he answered, giving me a wink. "And I don't mean food."

I blinked, still confused. Neji glared.

"That's a crude joke, Inuzuka," Neji said sternly. He was glowering at Kiba like he had murderous intentions. I knew it was because he was still upset about Kiba having had a crush on Hinata before. He was probably furious because he thought I was dating him. I banished the small voice in my mind that told me it was because he was jealous. _How could he be? He's engaged! _I shrank in my seat. Kiba shrugged.

"I didn't mean it in any other way than to say that Tenten has joie de vivre."

The next hour was quite possibly the most awkward hour of my life. When we were nearly finished with the meal, Rina suddenly raised her voice.

"Tenten," she said loudly in that insufferable, squeaky voice. "You're so quiet. Are you always so shy?"

"Nope," I said, barely listening to her. In my mind, I considered shoving her face into her salad.

"Is it because of me?" she asked innocently. Neji watched her suspiciously. I tried to fathom what horrible substance she had snuck in his food to make him like her enough to marry her, let alone sit still next to her. I tried not to think that he probably saw me as more annoying and intolerable than her. She _was_ his _fiance_...

"Nope," I answered bleakly. She smirked. I gritted my teeth and pretended to find the silverware fascinating.

"Then cheer up, Tenten!" she said with sickening, sugar-coated sweetness. "You're acting so _bitter_. If I were a stranger, I'd think you were bitter because you used to have a pathetic _crush_ on _my fiance_ or something!"

I dropped the silverware and stared at her, heat rushing to my face. Kiba's mouth was slightly open, but he appeared to be speechless. For some reason, Neji looked enraged, but also at a loss for words. Rina sighed smugly.

"What's wrong?" she hissed through her painted lips. "Did I say something upsetting, Tennie? It's not like that's true or something...right?"

Once again, I was sure my heart, as well as all the other internal organs in my body, were weeping blood. The pangs shot through my entire body this time. Neji loved her enough to marry her. She was his fiance. I blinked as I realized that I would forever be invisible to him. He would never see me. I was even more invisible to him than Rina, who was ill-natured, loathsome, and smelled putrid.

He would never love me.

I knew how I had to respond. It would make the bleeding and the pain in my heart worse. But I knew I had to do it, right there, in front of her. And Neji. I had tried to keep it from entering my thoughts all night, but it finally struck me. I had to live the rest of my life without him knowing. There would be no confession or rejection or happy ending. He would just never know.

I had to say "no."

"I...I..."

I found my tongue had desiccated and I reached for the glass of water next to me. I tried to steady my trembling hand, but to no avail. The glass tipped over and shattered on the table, one shard cutting my right pinky finger. Neji immediately reached for my hand and began to examine it. Kiba pulled it away from him.

"Tenten, are you oka-" he began. I cut him off. I stared straight at Rina, ignoring my injured finger.

"No," I said firmly, suddenly finding my voice. "No it's not. It's not true." I got up from my slightly dampened seat, still staring at her. She was simpering at me, thoroughly self-satisfied.

"Hmmm...for a second there I thought you were going to-" I cut her off.

"Congratulations, Neji," I declared, using every ounce of self-control I could summon to keep from sounding bitter. "I was starting to think it would never happen, but I guess it already has. Congratulations."

Rina laughed and hugged Neji's arm. He was just staring lifelessly into space for some reason. I figured he was just mortified that I had said "I was starting to think it would never happen."

I called for a waiter, who came and called another faculty member to clean the glass. I watched as the shards were placed in a bag, one-by-one. Neji suddenly pulled his arm out of Rina's grasp and got up from his seat.

"Tenten, may I talk to you privately?"

Suddenly, I grew fearful. Did he know? Which was worse? Living life without him knowing, or dying from humiliation upon finding out he knows? I decided not to find out.

"No, I...I really should be going now," I retorted. I forced myself to smile as I showed him my shaking, damaged pinky finger. "I need to go take care of this cut. Make sure it doesn't get worse, you know?"

Before he could respond, I turned and left. As soon as I was out of the building, I started running. When I was halfway down the street, I heard someone calling me and turned around. Kiba was running after me. I had completely forgotten him. He was running down the same hill where the vegetable cart incident had happened. He was about ten meters away and I decided it was only fair to wait for him, when I saw another figure approaching from a few feet behind him. The silhouette emerged from the horizon of the hill and I strained my eyes to identify the figure. It was Neji. Neji was chasing after us. My brain yelped, and without thinking, I ran off, forgetting about Kiba, Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and everything. I forgot about everything else in the world as I ran away.

I crashed into multiple people as I ran through the streets but I was too scared to look back. I stared at the ground as I ran, and didn't realize where I had run to until I finally looked around my environs through blurred, teary vision.

I had unconsciously ran to a cemetary.

It was dark now, and I could barely see without the bright lights that had adorned the streets I had escaped from.

I tried to muffle my sobs until I spotted a giant oak tree. I began to sob uncontrollably as my gaze drifted down the truck of the tree to a tombstone.

I had come to my parents' grave.

* * *

**So...now who'll get to her first? Neji or Kiba? Honestly, _I_ don't even know what's going to happen next...**

**Which is why I need feedback! Tell me what you think should happen next in reviews, please! :)**

**I hope it wasn't too bad...I know I made it terribly OOC and overly dramatic...sorry...**

**Anyways...thank you for reading and please criticize and leave angry, complaining hate-reviews! I'll try to upload soon. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Warning: This chapter has a lot of recap parts in either Kiba's/Tenten's point of view. Plus it has repetitive material that already happened last chapter...except this time it's in Neji's point of view...yayyyyy!

...

Yay...?

Sorry...anyways, without further ado...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 7

_Recap: _

_Tenten's POV_

_I crashed into multiple people as I ran through the streets but I was too scared to look back. I stared at the ground as I ran, and didn't realize where I had run to until I finally looked around my environs through blurred, teary vision._

_I had unconsciously ran to a cemetary._

_It was dark now, and I could barely see without the bright lights that had adorned the streets I had escaped from._

_I tried to muffle my sobs until I spotted a giant oak tree. I began to sob uncontrollably as my gaze drifted down the trunk of the tree to a tombstone._

_I had come to my parents' grave._

* * *

I staggered over to the tree and collapsed to my knees in front of the eroded tombstone. My legs felt cold and numb against the snowy ground.

"Mom. Dad," I whispered. I knew it was pathetic, but I needed to talk to them; even if they couldn't listen. I shivered. Each breath I took was visible in the crisp, frosty air around me. It was freezing and I finally realized why I was so cold; I had left my coat in the restaurant.

"It's so cold. Everything is so cold," I murmured weakly to my parents. "I hope it's not cold in heaven."

The wind whistled above my head, and swirling snow brushed over my frigid skin. I pondered what I should say next.

"Dad, do you remember the piggyback rides?" I asked quietly. "Kiba gave me a piggyback ride yesterday. Remember Kiba? The dog-boy who used to make fun of my hair...yeah...he's big enough to give piggyback rides now.

"And mom. Remember Neji? You really liked Neji. But guess what? He's...he's getting married."

I paused and forced myself to smile as more tears welled in my eyes. I welcomed them as they brought stinging, salty warmth down my cheeks.

"I'm so lonely. Mom, dad, I don't know if I can pretend...because...it hurts..." I trailed off as my body suddenly became limp. I felt myself fall and land on the snowy ground in front of the tombstone. I didn't try to get up. I just layed there in the snow, gazing up at the snowflakes swirling down from the night sky.

Time passed and I felt my senses deadening and my limbs becoming more and more numb as my mind drifted away from my body. My eyelids grew heavy and I fought to keep my eyes open.

Right before I lost consciousness, my father appeared. He hovered over me for a moment before everything went black and I finally let my eyes close.

* * *

Neji's POV

I clenched my fists as Rina squealed and dragged me into the restaurant. Up until this point in my life, I had always strived to control my emotions. But I couldn't help admitting it would be a miracle if I could endure the next few hours without killing someone.

I was preoccupied with thoughts of how I should refrain from ruining the aforementioned miracle as Rina dragged me directly into someone. Annoyed, I didn't bother to immediately look as the bumbling fool apologized.

"Oops, sorry. Sorry, I was-"

The fool suddenly stopped and I was about to express my impatience when I caught sight of her face. Tenten was staring at me, looking as startled as I was. Upon regaining my composure, I found myself glued to her. She looked beautiful. She always did, but today it was different. My eyes wandered over her, observing her soft, unbound hair, and bright eyes. I stopped when I caught myself staring at her attractive legs. Before I could rebuke myself, I found myself speaking my thoughts.

"Tenten, you look-"

"Oh, Neji! Honey, is this one of your ninja friends?" Rina shrieked. She drew closer to me, forcing me to smell her overpowering perfume. "Do you know her?" she whispered, as if trying to ignore Tenten. I inched away from her a bit before speaking.

"She's my old teammate and close friend," I muttered. She gasped.

"Oh...is that so?" she asked. "What was her name again?" I didn't see why she couldn't just ask her herself.

Tenten smiled. I could tell she was somewhat offended. "Oh, hi, I'm Tente-"

"Oh, right, Tenten. How could I forget! Neji told me about you."

Tenten seemed confused. "He...did?"

"Of course. I saw his team picture. Unruly brown bangs, those distressed doe eyes, and muddled expression. Oh, you _must_ be her."

I was about to chide her for insulting Tenten and generally being an awful harpy when Tenten shrugged.

"Uh...yeah. I guess I am-"

"I'm Rina," she purred. "Neji's _fiance_."

My throat tightened and for some inexplicable reason, I wanted to break a window. In fact, I was just about to, when I realized that what she had said was true.

"Oh," Tenten said. "I...I-I see-"

"Neji, she's just adorable. And so bright and cheery. And I thought she'd be pitifully sad when Hiashi told me you had an orphan girl on your team."

Tenten started coughing. I scowled because I knew Tenten had breathing problems when she was upset.

"Rina-san! Watch your words," I warned sharply, hurrying to Tenten's side. She was holding her stomach and I bent down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Tenten, are you alright?"

Suddenly someone slapped her back, causing her coughing to cease. I stood up. Kiba was there, with an infuriating grin on his face. He helped Tenten stand and laughed.

"Sorry I'm late, Tenten."

"Inuzuka," I addressed.

"Hi, Neji. And...?" I opened my mouth to introduce the awful woman, when Rina shoved herself in front of me.

"I'm Rina Mori, Neji's fiance," she screeched. Inuzuka grinned again, making me want to punch him.

"I'm Kiba. I'm Tenten's date."

Now I wanted to strangle him. I quickly turned and began to leave. "Rina-san, let's go."

Rina suddenly entwined her hand with mine and chained herself to my arm. "Neji, since we happened to meet your friends here, why don't we invite them to eat with us? Unless, of course, there's a reason not to," she proposed, feigning innocence.

I looked at Tenten, who stared back blankly.

She had...a date...? And I was being forced to spend several hours with a repulsive woman I would eventually have to marry...If I were to tell Tenten now to relieve my own frustration, what good would that do? Tenten had her own date. I had no excuse.

"There's no reason not to."

* * *

"I hope she doesn't cough _too_ often. I heard orphans often suffer malnourishment and disea-"

"Rina!" I snapped, raising my voice.

"No, she's extremely healthy!" Inuzuka persisted. "When she sleeps, not even her own snoring can wake her up, and she eats like a pig! Three bowls of noodles in under fifteen min-"

Tenten and the dog stared at each other and I felt disgusted.

"Don't eat too fast this time, Tintin; I'm afraid you'll choke," Rina prattled. I was about to accidentally spill hot tea on her when Inuzuka laughed.

"Yeah, well, _TEN_ten, do you know what they say about girls with a good appetite?" he asked.

"What?" Tenten asked plainly.

"Just that. They have an appetite for _everything...a_nd I don't mean food," he replied, winking at her. Tenten blinked, obviously unaware of the underlying meaning. I felt furious that Tenten was subjected to such a joke, regardless of how petty.

"That's a crude joke, Inuzuka," I said in contempt. He shrugged, giving Tenten a piece of his food.

"I didn't mean it in any other way than to say that Tenten has joie de vivre."

By the time one painfully slow hour passed, I felt like I would lose my mind at any second and shave my head.

"Tenten, you're so quiet. Are you always so shy?" Rina squeaked.

"Nope," Tenten answered flatly.

"Is it because of me?"

"Nope."

"Then cheer up, Tenten! You're acting so _bitter_. If I were a stranger, I'd think you were bitter because you used to have a pathetic _crush_ on _my fiance_ or something!"

I froze, traumatized. I tried to yell at her but the obscene words I wanted to scream in her face refused to form in my mouth. Rina exhaled self-righteously.

"What's wrong? Did I say something upsetting, _Tennie_? It's not like that's true or something...right?"

"I...I..."

Tenten stopped talking and reached for her glass of water. The glass fell upon contact and broke. Tenten winced when a piece cut her finger. Without thinking, I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. Inuzuka pulled it away.

"Tenten, are you oka-" he started.

"No," she said, addressing Rina's question. "No it's not. It's not true." I felt a strange, unfamiliar stinging in my chest as she got up from her wet chair. I was speechless; I felt like she had just slapped me across the face.

Rina smirked. "Hmmm...for a second there I thought you were going to-" Tenten interrupted her.

"Congratulations, Neji. I was starting to think it would never happen, but I guess it already has. Congratulations."

I heard Rina giggle and squeeze the life out of my arm. I couldn't manage to say anything. Tenten's words had smacked all thought and speech out of me.

Someone came to clean the mess and Tenten stood, watching the broken pieces as they were placed in a bag. I couldn't take it anymore. My wits slowly returned and I jerked my arm away from Rina and stood.

"Tenten, may I talk to you privately?" I asked, my voice firm. I had to tell her. At that moment, nothing mattered more than the fact that she had to know. I couldn't expect her to return these feelings, not after what I had put her through tonight. But I had to tell her or a part of me would surely die.

"No, I...I really should be going now," she replied nonchalantly. She held her pinky finger out for me to see. "I need to go take care of this cut. Make sure it doesn't get worse, you know?"

Before I could stop her, she left, with Inuzuka chasing after her.

I grabbed my coat.

It took me ten seconds, but in the ten empty seconds that followed her departure, I realized what I had continously tried to deny.

How much I loved her.

* * *

Kiba's POV

"No, I...I really should be going now," she stammered. She showed him her trembling pinky finger. "I need to go take care of this cut. Make sure it doesn't get worse, you know?"

I could tell she was extremely upset. Her eyes were glittering. Before I could stop her, she rushed out of the building, forgetting her coat. I grabbed it and ran after her.

When she reached the street, she started running. Halfway down the block, I was running down a hill. I had almost caught up to her.

"Tenten!" I shouted after her. "Tenten, wait!"

She turned at the sound of my voice and stopped. For a few seconds she waited for me, but suddenly craned her head sideways, as if looking behind me. Her eyes widened in alarm and she abruptly started running away again. I curiously turned to figure out what had made her panic.

A few feet behind me, Neji had been running after her, too. We both reached the bottom of the hill and stopped upon seeing each other. We panted as we exchanged brutal looks of hatred and watched as Tenten turned onto another block. She was heading the opposite way from her house.

When I finally caught my breath, I turned to face Neji. He glared back at me. For a moment, we just glared at each other.

As we stared each other down, I felt my blood gradually heat to a boil. He was the reason Tenten was upset. He and his nasty fiance had made her cry.

Suddenly, anger overwhelmed all of my other emotions and I punched him right in the jaw. He staggered backward a bit, his hand coming up to feel where I had socked him. He moved slightly to his right, and I did the same, until we were moving counter-clockwise in a circle. I folded Tenten's coat and set it on an empty vegetable cart nearby. An old man with a scraggly beard was standing by it, watching us nervously. I turned my attention back to Neji, who was glaring at me. We were barely four feet from each other. I glared back, baring my teeth at him.

"You bastard, you knew! Didn't you!" I yelled at him across the circle.

"Knew what?" he spat. I snorted in disbelief at his gall.

"You knew," I shouted angrily. "You knew and you did it anywa-"

"What the hell are you talking about, Inuzuka!"

"You know what you did! You hurt her! Made her feel pain! You know, PAIN? Like THIS!" I shouted as I lurched forward and punched him again. He swayed backward as we circled.

"I didn't mean to hurt Tenten. I just-"

"Do you love her!" I asked. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why?" he shouted back. "Do _you_ love her!"

I blinked. Did I...love her?

I had known her for so long...but I had truly met her this week. Millions of memories rushed through my mind. Memories of her laughing, eating, being angry and grumpy...memories of her drunk and being piggybacked by me...and memories of her just a few minutes ago; eyes glittering. I gritted my teeth.

"Yeah," I said slowly. I was sure, but it was hard to say. "Yeah, I do! Do you love h-"

He lunged forward and kicked me in the gut before throwing a punch at my nose. I felt myself wrench forward before stumbling backward from the force. _I'll take that as a 'yes'_, I thought as I steadied myself.

"I love her more than you would know," he hissed viciously.

"Then you shouldn't have broken her heart like that, you rotten prick!"

He looked startled, like I had hit him again. I waved a fist at him. His expression looked pensive.

"Are you saying...Tenten-"

"YEAH! She liked you and you weren't man enough to tell her!" I yelled.

"Then why did she say you were-"

"I mean...she DID like you a lot BEFORE!" I bellowed. I knew she probably still did, but I couldn't stop shouting. "But she's been living with ME for a week!"

I watched as his expression changed from startled, to shocked, to furious. He lunged forward and swung ferociously at me. I caught his fist with my left hand and swung with my right, but he caught it with his free hand. We stood, both of us trying to fight the other's grasp.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" he roared. It was the most emotion I had ever heard in his voice. I glared at him, but couldn't help smirking.

"That's right. And this was the last time she'll cry because of you!" I yelled just as the old man with the scraggly beard appeared.

"Hey, calm down, you two, what's the matt-"

We both cursed and shouted at him as he backed away from us and hid behind the empty vegetable cart. I spotted the coat hanging from the edge of the cart and suddenly remembered Tenten had ran off on her own. A bone-chilling breeze passed us and I realized it was freezing and Tenten was somewhere sad and alone without a coat. I had to find her.

I began to shove Neji away roughly, making him exert force back. We both reeled backward.

"I'd love to stay here and kick your ass but I have to go save my girl," I snapped, gruffly walking over to the cart. I carefully grabbed Tenten's coat and gave Neji one last glare before running off to find Tenten.

I followed the direction Tenten had gone and turned the corner. I called her name as I ran. Where did she go?

I tried to think of a place she might have gone. It wouldn't be Ino's or Sakura's houses, because they weren't there. She obviously didn't go to Hinata's either, and she didn't return to her own. I was passing by the Konoha Cemetary gates when I suddenly remembered what she had told me during the piggyback ride:

_"Did your dad give you lots of piggyback rides?"_

_"All the time. You're not a puppy...you're a piggy. Just like Ino...no, just like my father."_

_"Yeah? Tenten, does your father live in Konoha?"_

_"Yup."_

_"Where? Is he a shinobi?"_

_"Yup. He lives under a big oak tree."_

_"Your house is under a big oak tree, too. But your dad doesn't live with y-"_

_"My daddy lives under lots of oak trees. Next to mommy. I'm going to live there one day."_

I was about to enter the cemetary when my phone suddenly rang. I was about to ignore the call when I read the ID. It was Hana. Halfheartedly, I answered.

"Hello? Hana?" I asked into the phone. My voice sounded restless and my breathing was heavy from running. For a moment there was silence on the other end before my sister spoke.

"Kiba? Kiba is that you!"

"Yeah, Sis, look I'm sort of busy righ-"

"Kiba, help!" she said. Her voice sounded urgent and anxious, almost scared. She was breathing into the phone. "Kiba, c-come home. There's n-no one here-Mom went on a mission-and I...I..."

"Hana, what's wrong?"

"Kiba, it's happening. Right now," she said, suddenly sounding more jubilant. "My water broke."

I almost dropped the phone. I looked to the cemetary where Tenten could possibly be crying, cold and alone, under her parents' oak tree. I thought about the child that my sister needed to be at a hospital in order to bear.

"Hana, hold on."

* * *

Neji's POV

"Do you love her!" Inuzuka asked. My mind blanked. I glared at him.

"Why?" I asked. "Do _you_ love her!"

He hesitated, as if reflecting something that would determine his response.

"Yeah," he replied. It sounded somewhat apprehensive. He seemed to assure himself and his voice became more certain. "Yeah, I do! Do you love h-"

I swiftly moved forward and kicked him in the stomach before punching him square in the nose.

"I love her more than you would know," I stated impulsively. I amazed myself when I realized I meant it earnestly.

"Then you shouldn't have broken her heart like that, you rotten prick!"

It took me a moment to understand what he was implying. I contemplated in silent surprise before I could speak.

"Are you saying...Tenten-"

"YEAH! She liked you and you weren't man enough to tell her!" he barked. I eyed him contemptuously as we circled around each other.

"Then why did she say you were-"

"I mean...she DID like you a lot BEFORE!" he shouted. My heart began to beat faster. "But she's been living with ME for a week!"

My heart exploded and I stopped moving. Shock was the first thing I experienced as I tried to comprehend what he meant. Tenten's voice suddenly rang through my head as I remembered back to earlier in the week when I had entered her house:

_"Okay...well...I'll be right back...I just need to get something before I go. Just stay here...and **don't** use Byakugan."_

_"Why? Are you hiding something from me, Tenten?"_

_"Ha! What could I possibly have to hide from you, Neji?"_

I abandoned all attempts to try to maintain self-control and swung violently at him. He blocked the hit by holding my fist with his left hand and swung with his right, but I caught and held his fist with my other hand. We struggled in a deadlock.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" I snarled, surprising myself with the unfamiliar amount of passion and emotion in my voice. He was smirking at me.

"That's right. And this was the last time she'll cry because of you!" he yelled. An old man with a wild beard came toward us from behind an empty cart. I recognized him as the same man I had met with Tenten the day she was almost killed by a vegetable cart. The man smiled nervously.

"Hey, calm down, you two, what's the matt-"

I yelled one of the longest string of coarse obscenities I had ever heard and Inuzuka joined me. The old man quickly scampered away and took cover behind the protection of his vegetable cart. Suddenly, I felt Inuzuka pushing me and pushed back. We both shoved each other away and lurched backward.

"I'd love to stay here and kick your ass but I have to go save my girl," he remarked sharply. He went to the cart and took Tenten's coat before giving me a murderous, animalistic look. Then, he took his leave.

I stood stunned for a while. Then, I mentally slapped myself back into reality and ran in Tenten's direction. I had to find her and tell her.

I ran down the block and turned in the direction Tenten and Inuzuka had gone. He was nowhere in sight. Why were they living together? Why didn't she tell me?

My anger was suppressed by images of Tenten freezing and shivering under some lamp post in some dangerous neighborhood. She could get sick...or some hoodlum could come and hurt her...or kill her...

Or sexually harass her.

I started running faster as my mind went through all the possible, logical places she could have gone. The wind whipped my hair around and I realized it had come loose. Snow was falling and I knew Tenten was in danger. Anxiously, I urged myself to think faster.

I was almost out of ideas when I suddenly remembered a sunny July day.

It had been my birthday. Lee and Gai had been hospitalized after a mission, and no one was in town. Hinata, Hanabi, and Uncle Hiashi had all taken a trip to see some play. I had actually felt strangely lonely that morning.

After one-on-one training with Tenten had ended around noon, she insisted on spending the day with me for my birthday. I remembered acting reluctant to agree, although I had been craving someone's company. As soon as I had agreed, her face had lit up, before suddenly darkening. I took a deep breath as I recalled what she had said.

"Oh...actually, I sort of have to go somewhere first...but I'll be back real soon, just wait right he-"

"Is it something personal?" I had interjected. "Or are you going somewhere I could possibly accompany you to?"

She had paused to consider my question. "Well," she said. "I guess you can come too...but just promise you won't be uncomfortable."

I had promised. I strained my mind to remember where we had gone after that and my feet hit the pavement even faster.

"Why are you bringing that?" I asked. We had stopped at her house and I had waited on her porch as she went to get something inside. She came back with a picnic basket. She just smiled and didn't answer as we left her house.

I realized it had been my birthday, but it had also been the wedding anniversary of Tenten's parents. As I was running, I suddenly felt uncanny deja vu as I began to evoke where we had gone from there.

I had carried the picnic basket for her as we walked down a street lined with trees, then went through an iron gate. The gate led into some kind of lot...full of the same, giant trees. We had sat in the grass under a particular tree and she opened the picnic basket and took out two glasses and a bottle of wine. She had filled one glass and placed it on a stone slat under something...was it a boulder? Or rock? Or...

It had been a gravestone. She had placed one glass of wine on a slat under a gravestone, then filled the second glass. She offered it to me, and I had taken a sip. For some reason, she had started to cry, so I offered her the wine. She shook her head.

"I've never had alcohol before," she said quietly. "But wine was my father's favorite."

I had taken her hand, which was shaking a little, and molded it over the stem of the wine glass. Then, she gently put the rim of the glass to her lips, and she had taken her first sip of wine...

...with me by her side...in a cemetary...at...at...

...at her parents' grave.

I slowed down as the recollection ended and stopped in front of the same iron gate. Hastily, I pushed it open and ran through the cemetary, calling her name.

The ground was covered in snow, and I dragged my feet through it as fast as I could, occasionally hitting some of the less visible gravestones.

"Tenten!" I yelled. "Tenten, where are you! Tente-"

I stopped when I spotted someone lying in front of a gravestone. It was under the tallest tree out of them all. Tenten was lying there, motionless and covered in snow, staring up at the sky. I rushed over to her.

"Tenten, I-"

Before I could finish, she closed her eyes and fell unconscious. My voice came out in a whisper as I finished anyway.

"I love you."

Quietly, I knelt beside her and felt her wrist. Her pulse was faint. Without thinking it through, I took my coat off and put it on her, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders. As gently as I could, I eased her onto my back and stood, making sure she was securely wrapped in my coat and fixed onto my back, before running as fast as I could to the hospital.

* * *

(Still Neji's POV)

I paced nervously in the hospital hall as I waited outside the room Tenten was in. It was the last room at the end of the hall. Suddenly, the door opened and the doctor came out.

"Is she-"

"She'll be fine," the doctor assured, putting a hand on my shoulder. He smiled. "She's had a bit of hypothermia, but she'll be fine after an overnight stay at the hospital."

"Thank you," I said as he began to leave. Abruptly, he stopped and turned around to face me.

"It's a good thing you found her. If she had stayed out in the cold just one hour longer, the result would have been more serious," he said. He glanced at his clipboard and a baffled expression overtook his features. "Wow, she must have gone though some extremely painful experience before she was exposed to the cold."

I looked at him suspiciously. "'Painful experience?'" I repeated. "Was she hurt! Or did someone rape-"

The doctor chuckled as he patted my back. "No, not that kind of painful. I mean emotionally."

"How do you know?"

He peered through his glasses at his clipboard again. "Well, normally, our medic-nin can treat hypothermia of this degree in a few hours."

"But...?"

"That girl," he said, looking toward the door to Tenten's hospital room. "She suffered some kind of extreme emotional hardship. Sometimes, when a patient has gone through a severe emotional struggle, we find that their chakra levels have been depleted. Hers had almost completely disappeared. That's why she'll have to stay overnight. To replenish chakra."

I stared through the small window in the door. Tenten was lying on a bed. She was still and her face looked peaceful.

"Is she awake?" I asked the doctor. He shook his head.

"She'll probably be unconscious until tomorrow morning."

"Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded. "We've finished setting everything up, so it should be fine."

All of a sudden, the sound of a door opening and slamming into a wall came from down the hall. A young, frenetic nurse rushed into the corridor from a room farther down the hallway. She hurried toward us, her eyes frantic and panicked.

"D-Doctor Suzuki, the baby, Miss Hana is...it's...it's almost here! What do we-"

The doctor chuckled and reassured the nurse that everything was fine. I suspected it was her first time handling childbirth. The doctor smiled.

"Well, I should be going now, you're free to go see your friend-"

He was interrupted by a loud yelp from the room the nurse had come from. They exchanged a nervous look before dashing down the hall and into the room. I looked away just as a man with unruly brown hair was shoved out of the room by a few bustling nurses. I couldn't see who he was because he was facing the other way. Before I could think to see who he was, I entered Tenten's room.

* * *

I quietly stepped into the dim room and walked to the bed where Tenten was. A small chair had been put at the side of the bed, and I sat down.

I stared at her for a while. She looked rather pale, but still beautiful; almost angelic. Her chest rose and fell with her serene breathing. A strand of her hair had strayed onto her face. Impulsively, I reached out and put it back in place, my hand brushing against her cheek. I kept it there for a moment, before brushing it softly down to her jaw. She was warm now. I carefully removed my hand from her chin and took her hand in mine.

"Tenten," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

Those words usually felt awkward and unfamiliar on my tongue, but the sincerity with which I expressed them now made them feel right. Gently, I tightened my grip on her hand. She didn't move. Cautiously, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers.

Immediately, I pulled myself away. I grimaced, thoroughly disgusted with myself.

_What are you doing?_ I silently asked myself. _And to a helpless, unconscious woman!_

Unexpectedly, a small, laughing voice answered my silent question in my head.

_**You're just doing what you've always wanted to do. Face it, Neji, you're just like any other average, horny guy!**_

I glared at nobody in particular, mortified by what the voice had said.

_I'm not..."horny!" PLEASE don't say that! I just...I don't-_

The voice laughed mockingly. _**You make me SICK! And you couldn't even tell her you liked her...Kiba was right!**_

I growled at the mentioning of the dog. The voice continued.

_**And now it's too late. She's already moved on and you're gonna have to marry that horrible harridan-**_

_What if it's not too late? Maybe Tenten still-_

**_Nope! That's not it._**

The voice now took physical form as a disgraceful figment of my own pathetic imagination. As it solidified into a hallucinated figure on the other side of Tenten's hospital bed, I was humiliated when I realized it was myself.

My other self sighed and glanced sympathetically at Tenten. I glowered at him. He gave me a sad look.

**_Neji, I'm afraid it IS too late._**

He shook his head with remorse.

**_When you truly love someone, you'll let them go if it means they'll be happy. Even if it's not with you._**

With that, the other image of myself saluted me and retreated back into the recesses of my mind, leaving me disheartened and alone. I was clinging to Tenten's hand. I looked at her. He was right.

I stroked her hand with my thumb before gently putting it down. For a long time, I just watched over her, fixing her hair every now and then when the same stray strand would fall. After what must have been at least half-an-hour, a yawn escaped my mouth. I had been restless all night when Tenten had been missing and I knew she was in danger.

Now, she was right in front of me, warm and out of harm's way. I fixed her hair one last time before allowing myself to fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of her quiet, tranquil breathing.

* * *

**Thank you for reading...**

**So...please don't be so mad...I tried my best...? ****I'm really sorry if this chapter didn't go the way you wanted it to...I read everyone's reviews and tried to include your ideas...**

**Which is why reviews are important! If you want something to happen...you gotta make it happen! Please leave lots of friendly/angry reviews about what you think!**

**I will try to upload soon. Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 8

Neji's POV

I awoke to the sound of strange, choral music. I got up from the floor and realized I had been sleeping at the foot of an altar. The old vegetable cart man with the unkempt beard was standing behind it. I stared at him dubiously.

"What's going on-"

"All rise for the bride," he answered, stroking through his untamed beard. I raised a brow. His eyes glistened sadly.

The music playing shifted to a more familiar tune and I stood in horror as I realized it was the wedding march. I tried to run, but my feet wouldn't budge. An ominous figure hidden under a white veil was slowly stalking toward me. Suddenly, I spotted Uncle Hiashi watching me solemnly from a crowd. Everyone in the Hyuga clan was seated before me. They observed me silently with sullen expressions. I could see Hinata fidgeting with her fingers behind her father. The old vegetable cart man behind the altar addressed me.

"Do you, Neji Hyuga, take Rina Mori to be your wife to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

I tried to shout and escape but my voice suddenly projected from somewhere behind me. "I do," I replied, my lips moving against my own volition. I saw Rina smirk maliciously behind her veil. The old man sighed.

"And do you, Rina Mori, take Neji Hyuga, to be your husband to have and to-"

"I do!" she squealed. She forced a ring onto my suddenly paralyzed finger. My eye twitched as I found myself mirroring her by putting a ring on her long, bony finger.

"You have now given your pledges to honor and cherish each other as one. May these promises last for as long as you two shall live. With your family and friends around us as my witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bri-"

I struggled to free myself as the insufferable woman in front of me began to snatch her veil off her face to reveal-

I suddenly sprang up, breathing heavily. I quickly darted my head side-to-side and saw Tenten sleeping peacefully. It had been a dream. My ears finally picked up the sound of my phone ringing and I realized what had really caused me to wake up.

"Hello?" I asked, slightly unnerved.

"Neji, my youthful student! Are you alright! Where's Tenten-Are you with her? Is she okay! Where are you two?"

I grimaced at the excessive volume and concerned affection oozing from the voice on the other end. The clock on the other side of the room informed me that it was half past eleven.

"Gai, I'm fine. I'm at the hospital with Tenten because she had some hypoth-"

"Why! Is she hurt!" he interrogated. I was about to repeat myself when I heard Lee in the background.

"Tenten, our hearts yearn for you with the passion of a thousand suns, youthful flowe-"

I quickly tried to decrease the volume on my phone but realized it was pointless when I continued to hear the din of Gai's mediocre rendition of some sappy motivational song. As his rough, choppy singing voice blared from the phone, I left the room so as not to disturb the slumber of Tenten and the other patients in the room.

I walked about halfway down the hall before addressing Gai again, who was still singing for Tenten.

"Gai," I said impatiently. By now, Lee had joined. "Gai, stop, she can't hear you...she's asleep...Gai, Lee...Please..."

They belted one last note, which was noticeably too high for both, before finally letting my ears recover. "Neji! Hold on! Right there. We'll be there at once to support Tenten, whatever her condition may be!" Lee exclaimed.

"I don't think that will be necess-"

I heard a click as they hung up. I shut my eyes to mentally recuperate when my phone rang again. I grudgingly checked the ID. It was Hinata.

"What?" I snapped. My voice sounded extremely aggravated, even to my own ears. I sighed and reluctantly tried again. "What is it, Hinata-sama?"

"Oh...uh sorry...n-nii-san, but is Tenten with you? Uh, she wasn't home t-today..."

"Yes, Hinata-sama. We're at the hospital right now."

"Huh! Is she...um...o-o-oka-"

"Yes, she is fine. She has had a bit of hypothermia from a...an event last night. But she will be fine." _I hope..._

Suddenly, I heard someone else in the background. It sounded like multiple people were yelling at her.

"Hinata-sama, who else is there?"

"Oh, uh...just Ino and Sakura..." Hinata murmured. I heard someone shout again.

"Hinata! Ask him what happened! Where did she-"

"Be quiet, Ino-pig! He'll hear you!"

There was a soft thud as I heard Hinata put the phone down.

"Oops, sorry," someone in the background whispered. I heard the phone being picked up again.

"Ummm...nii-san," Hinata began. "Do you...w-well Tenten...Do you lik-"

Suddenly, a door opened behind me and someone stumbled into the hall. I turned.

When I saw who it was, I narrowed my eyes. He glared back.

"Hinata-sama, I'm afraid I have to go now."

"Oh...um...okay. Please be carefu-"

"Yes, Hinata. Don't worry. And take care."

I ended the call and shut my phone as Inuzuka came toward me. I folded my arms in scorn.

"You said you were going to find her, Inuzuka. Where the hell did you go last ni-"

"Is she okay?" he asked. I decided not to strangle him just yet. It was a hospital, after all.

"She's fine because I found her," I said. I turned to leave. He reached out and grabbed my forearm rather brusquely. I repeatedly reminded myself that we were in a hospital; it would be disrespectful to fight, or possibly gauge a certain someone's repulsive, animalistic eyes out. Slowly, I turned back to face him, glaring furiously. I began to jerk my arm away when I felt him constrict his grip. He leaned closer to me before speaking derisively into my ear.

"Listen, you may have found her," he warned. "But she's with me. Don't forget that."

I was just about to accidentally forget about being in a hospital when someone came out of the room Inuzuka had been in. The man walked over to us and we quickly stepped away from each other. The man smiled and nodded toward me before addressing Inuzuka.

"Kiba, Hana just woke up and she's looking for you."

Inuzuka stared defiantly at me before leaving with the other man. I angrily turned and went back to Tenten's room. I stormed across the room to Tenten's bedside and sat in the chair. Just then, Tenten stirred a bit before yawning and waking up. I watched in awe as her bright eyes opened and searched the room before shutting again as she cringed. Rubbing her head, she sat up. She opened her eyes once more and yelped in surprise when she saw me. I almost laughed, but caught myself just in time. As she blinked, the dazed look in her eyes gradually diminished and I fought the urge to crush her in my embrace.

"I'm sorry about Rina's behavior last night, but you shouldn't have run off on your own like-"

"N-Neji! Crap...What are you do-" she started, but suddenly stopped talking. She stared off into the space in front of herself thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Uh...I mean...thanks. For saving me."

I bit my lip to suppress the desire to kiss her again. Reluctantly, I managed to make my expression as cold and aloof as always.

"Hn."

* * *

Tenten's POV

I yawned as I got up, my eyes drifting from the ceiling to a hospital bed across the room and I realized where I was. Light was flooding through the windows, but no one else seemed to be awake. I closed my eyes again. I could faintly remember the night before. I cringed as it returned to me in a split second; the glass shattering, the cold numb feeling of my legs in the snow, and the hazy vision of my father before I blacked out.

I opened my eyes. Someone's coat had been hung on the wall next to me. It looked a lot like Neji's. I turned to face the other way. Suddenly, I let out a noise that sounded like a frog shrieking when I saw Neji sitting by me.

"I'm sorry about Rina's behavior last night, but you shouldn't have run off on your own like-"

"N-Neji! Crap...What are you do-" I said, but suddenly stopped myself. Suddenly, I realized why he was here on my own. Last night, it hadn't been my father who had brought me here...

I smiled, extremely embarassed, before trying again. "Uh...I mean thanks. For saving me."

He bit his lip indifferently and cooly looked away. "Hn."

I frowned. That single, monosyllabic response suddenly reminded me of some portentous, pressing matter lurking in the air that I had almost forgotten.

He was getting married.

I blinked, stunned, and watched as he turned to look out the window. I felt my cheeks start to blush as I stared at him. He looked deep in thought. What was he thinking?

Was it wrong to want to tell him how I felt even after everything I had seen last night? Would I just be making a futile effort to alleviate this horrid sense of painful, agonizing regret and rue-

"Neji!" I exclaimed, cutting off my own pathetic, pitiful thoughts. He turned back toward me, giving me a curious expression. I gulped and paused for a moment, building some courage. "Neji, I...I don't...I don't know how exactly to say this..."

"Say what?"

"I...I feel like..." I began. No...that didn't sound right...I shook my head and began again. "Neji, I know you're going somewhere...that...I can't go. And...once you get there...you won't come back."

"Where am I goi-"

"**Just**...listen," I breathed. He looked confused, and almost annoyed, which didn't quite help my nerves. I took a deep breath. "Before you go...I...I need to tell you something that...I...I never had the nerve to say...why now? Because...well, right now, I have the nerve and...because I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't at least tell you."

"Tenten, are you trying to say-"

"No. Whatever it is you think I'm going to say...I...I doubt you really know. It's something I know you're not going to like. But it's going to kill me if I don't...if I don't tell you..."

My eyes traced over his charming profile. Suddenly, I noticed a small bruise running along his jaw.

"What happened?" I asked, suddenly distracted. Without thinking, I reached up and ran my fingers along the slight contusion. He quickly turned from the window and reached to remove my hand when he abruptly stopped. I quickly took my hand away and watched in shock as he suddenly leaned closer to me, his eyes piercing into mine with an ardent intensity. It seemed ecstatic and impassioned, like a fervent desire for something. The only emotion belonging to Neji that I could identify it as was anger, and I flinched nervously. A bizarre sensation of warmth swept through my body from my toes before collecting in my cheeks.

"Neji, I'm sorry you're mad...for whatever reason...but...I may never be able to...to..." I trailed off as my voice suddenly cracked.

"I'm not mad," he whispered. I couldn't really explain why more burning heat pooled in my cheeks as he folded his hands over mine. I felt like I'd die from lack of air if he came any closer, or pass out if he were to keep holding my hands. I backed away until I nearly fell off the hospital bed. I watched him incredulously.

"N-Neji...? What are you doi-"

"I need to tell you something first."

I watched him in inquisitive wonder. What was he trying to say? I started feeling dizzy when I realized he was still holding my hands. "Well...uh...why are you so close? Umm...uh, we can talk without holding hands because talking mainly uses other parts of y-your body like vocal cords and...uh, the larynx and diaph-"

"Tenten, please...stop talking," he said. I nodded and tried to stop my nervous babbling.

"Sorry," I said, waiting for him to continue. He just stared at me, as if unsure of what to say. I was burning from his proximity. "Hmmm...uh...I think...Windows! Ah, yes, these windows should be cleaned...so I'll just go tell someone t-"

"I need you to know this. I normally wouldn't know how to say this. Frankly, I'm still not sure. But I think...you're trying to communicate something to me, that you think I don't know. And it seems...as though...you think I wouldn't understand or care about what you have to say...but I need you to hear something _I_ have to say before you say anything else."

I nodded before he continued. "Tenten, I lo-"

"TENTEN! NEJI!" a powerful voice boomed from across the room. I heard a patient groan and awaken from the sharp slam of the door opening. We both whipped our heads toward the door and Neji suddenly stepped away from me, releasing my hands. I silently gasped for air and blew at my bangs, trying my best not to conspicuously hyperventilate. What just _happened_?

Gai and Lee were standing in the doorway with an atrociously large, colorful bouquet of flowers and a pouch of Chinese herbal medicine juice. I blinked dazedly as Gai gave me an exuberant thumbs-up.

"Gai...Lee...hi...? I didn't know you'd-"

"Tenten!" Lee cried. He rushed to my hospital bed and tackled me into a hug. After a few uncomfortable seconds, I broke into a smile and patted his back. I watched over Lee's shoulder as Gai initiated an enlivened conversation about flowers with Neji, who looked like he had a migraine. As soon as Lee let go, I interrupted Gai-sensei, attempting to salvage a bit of Neji's remaining peace of mind. Suddenly, a doctor entered the room and came over to us.

"Miss Tenten Wei?" he asked. I nodded.

"Uh, that's me..."

He smiled. "If you feel fine, you're now free to leave the hospital. Remember to rest a little this week and you should be fine."

* * *

We piled into the elevator as we made our way out of the hospital. A few seconds after the elevator door shut, I glanced at Lee and Gai-sensei; they were staring at me uncannily. I raised a brow.

"Hi guys...so...why exactly are you staring at me like something's eating my face?"

Lee tilted his head curiously. Suddenly, he poked my nose. "Tenten...you look different...you look...prettyyyyy..."

I frowned. Did he just imply that I'm usually ugly? Okay...that was sort of true...but still. I scowled, and raised my hand to smack him on the head. Gai laughed.

"Tenten, you've always somewhat beautiful," he stated. I blinked in shock. "You just look truly beautiful."

I lowered my hand and smiled. "Uh...thanks...I think."

The doors opened and we filed out of the elevator.

"Tenten! Drink this!" Lee said as we left the hospital. "It will help you rebuild your strength!" He poked a straw in the medicinal juice pouch and held it in front of my mouth. Reluctantly, I took a sip. The instant it touched my tongue, I spat it out.

"What is this!" I exclaimed, wincing at the revolting taste.

Lee and Gai-sensei grinned. "EXTREME NINJA STRENGTH REJUVENATION JUICE!" they bellowed in unison. I shook my head. Suddenly, my stomach grumbled loudly and I laughed sheepishly in embarassment.

"I guess...I was kind of hungry?"

Gai-sensei chuckled heartily. "It's a good thing I always carry..." he began. He fumbled with the zipper in his flack jacket before pulling a half-full gallon ziploc bag out. "CHINESE MEDICINE BALLS!"

I blinked nervously. There were at least fifty balls in the ziploc bag. A while ago, I had thrown up after I had eaten just a few. They were surprisingly spicy and bitter. Neji, who despised spicy or strong-flavored foods, had just nearly escaped death. I tried to laugh.

"Umm...I think I'll just go home and eat, sensei..."

"Aw, just try one, Tenten! You really seemed to like them last time. It will SURELY make your youthful bones SING!" Gai stated, doing an enthusiastic fist-pump. Lee popped a couple in his mouth happily. I had to get out of there...

"Sensei, I actually don't really enjo-"

"Gai? You have a meeting with Kakashi today, do you not?" Neji suddenly asked. Gai-sensei blinked apprehensively. Suddenly, his face lit up in fiery determination.

"YES!" he cried. "How could I be so CARELESS and let myself FORGET! TODAY I WILL DEFEAT MY RIVAL, Kuh-KAH-shi...once and for ALL!"

"I will help you win to the best of my ability!" Lee chirped. Gai-sensei opened his arms and Lee hopped into them zealously.

"LEE!"

"Gai-SENSEI!"

"Oh, LEE!"

I awkwardly stood with Neji and watched from a distance as the two men hugged each other tightly, yelling fervid phrases of encouragement to one another. Suddenly, they broke away and turned to face us, their teeth somehow glistening despite the shade hanging over us from the hospital building.

"Tenten, remember to take a week off of training," he declared, still sentimental from his miniature pep rally of "youth" with Lee. "Neji, I'll leave you to walk Tenten home!"

With that, they ran off, leaving me uncomfortably stranded with Neji, who seemed perturbed to the state of being inarticulate. I poked him a few times before punching him playfully in the arm. The punch itself didn't seem to faze him, but he turned his attention to me nevertheless. I smiled in a way I know must have looked gawky, but I grinned anyway.

"Uh, thanks Neji! So..." I ventured. "I guess I'll just, uh...I'll go home, now."

I was about to leave when Neji suddenly took his coat off and wrapped it around me. He lifted my hair, which I realized was still down from last night, and pulled it out from under the large collar. I blinked.

"Tenten, you just experienced hypothermia less than fifteen hours ago. It would help you greatly if you utilized common sense every once in a while."

I frowned. "You mean I should've asked you for your coat? It's not like you would've given it to me any-"

He turned to walk away. "Hurry, I don't have all day."

I stomped my foot and planted it firmly on the ground. "What do you mean? I'm going home, remem-"

"I haven't eaten at all this morning due to staying with you overnight in a hospital. The _least_ you could do is accompany me to breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," I announced obstinately.

"You just told Gai you were hungry."

"Well, I _was_, but not anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going h-"

Just then, my wretched stomach grumbled even louder than before. Neji smirked.

"I think your stomach has other thoughts," he remarked pointedly. _Smart-aleck..._

* * *

I struggled once again to keep up with his rather hurried pace as we walked down the street. As we passed near Ichiraku's ramen shop, the nostalgic, tantalizing aroma of hot ramen noodles wafted to my nostrils and into my starving stomach. Neji didn't seem to notice the sweet smell and kept walking.

"I want ramen," I asserted simply, heading back toward the shop. He sighed and glowered as he unwillingly followed me. To my surprise, he didn't protest at all. Nor did he drag me into a horrendously expensive French restaurant with bimbotastic waitresses.

I smiled, content with my small but pleasing victory, as we sat on the stools lining the counter. Ichiraku came out from the kitchen and beamed when he saw us.

"Tenten, Neji! It's been a long time. What can I get you?"

I ordered for myself, then for Neji. Before Ichiraku left, I covertly whispered, "no spices" to him, referring to Neji's mild order. As he returned to the kitchen, I turned to Neji, who was staring impassively at the soysauce dispenser. I laughed. He looked up from the container.

"What?"

"Why do you always do that!" I asked, still laughing.

"Do what?"

"That thing where you stare emotionlessly into space or glare at random objects..."

He didn't laugh. "Because...if I don't, I might end up doing something I will regret."

I quirked a brow at him, but dismissed the eccentric response. It was _Neji_ after all...

When we finished our bowls of ramen, Ichiraku came with the check. This time, Neji let me pay for my own meal. We walked through the streets toward my house.

"And that's how I got my first double-bladed dagger," I finished. We had finally reached my house. I returned his coat and just stood for a second. I realized I was waiting for him to demand seeing that I go inside safely. He just stood there for a moment as well. Then he nodded curtly and turned to go.

"Wait," I called. He sighed and turned back around. I tilted my head curiously. "Aren't you going to wait until I go inside?"

"I have something important to attend to."

I blinked. For some reason, his answer left a cold, hollow feeling in my core. I waved good-bye and started inside. I was halfway to my door when he spoke.

"Tenten?" he asked. I turned so quickly that I almost slipped on a patch of ice. "Do you remember the day I came to escort you to training?"

I thought about it for a second and suddenly remembered the day he was describing. "Oh, uh...yeah. You mean the day with the vegetable cart incide-"

"Why did you warn me not to use Byakugan in your house that day?"

I frowned, trying to remember the occurence. "When did I say th-"

"When I entered your home, and you went to retrieve something."

"Oh..." I said, fully remembering. I had said it because of Kiba, and my mind abruptly jolted up. "Oh...Well, because it's my _house_, smart one! It's filled with my belongings and...well...personal stuff."

"Like what?" he asked taciturnly. I blinked again, somewhat startled by his pressing manner.

"Uh...well...I have my diary, and embarassing childhood pictures...and I don't think my bed was made that morn-"

"That's fine, then," he interjected rather tersely. "Bye, Tenten."

"Bye...?" I answered as he was leaving. "Wait, Neji!"

He stopped but didn't turn. "What?"

"Umm...thanks. Again. For saving-"

"It wasn't that important, Tenten," he replied. Before I began to realize there was a bit of an insulting meaning to his words, he turned and gestured to the door.

"Hey, what was that suppos-"

"Go inside. Please."

I frowned at his suddenly distant demeanor, but aversely obeyed.

* * *

"He's such a happy, jolly fellow," I muttered sarcastically to myself. I sighed somberly as I stepped inside and shut the door. "I guess it's just because he's nervous about getting married soon."

I blinked, suddenly feeling as miserable as I had the night before. He was getting married. For someone who was about to get married, he seemed...irascible. Of course, it could have something to do with the fact that his bride-to-be was a rude, emaciated, squeaky little bitc-

I suddenly noticed my house was surprisingly warm and realized the heater must not have been in disuse while I was gone; I presumed Kiba must be home.

Feeling immensely depressed, I stumbled past the living room and toward my room, not bothering to look at anything but the floor. I was too doleful to notice the hushed voices coming from the kitchen as I entered it.

"Tenten!" someone cried out. I looked up.

Kiba, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were all piled into my small kitchen, wearing various, mismatched aprons or baking mittens. A tray of warm cookies was sitting on the kitchen counter. I felt a bit of my weariness disperse and I made myself grin.

"You guys...what..." I began. Suddenly, my throat tightened and I was slightly ashamed to find myself thoroughly choked up. Ino and Sakura immediately rushed and established a group hug. Hinata shyly walked over and joined. I glanced at Kiba and mouthed, "Why did you let them in?" Kiba grinned. I decided to forgive him just this once. Suddenly, Ino shoved everyone off.

"Oh my GOD, are you okay?" she asked. She felt my forehead. "What happened!"

Everyone stared at me intently except Kiba, who shuffled to a corner and took off his apron. I shrugged as I grabbed a warm cookie and bit into it. The sweet, fluffy taste comforted me as it melted on my tongue. It helped me brace myself for the chaotic interrogation that I was sure would soon begin.

"Umm...the doctor says I passed out...and hypotherm-"

"Was that his fiance?" Ino demanded. I nodded.

"Did he ask you to sit with him and his fiance?" Sakura asked.

"Did you tell n-nii-san that you were with K-Kiba?" Hinata whispered. I sighed.

"No, he didn't, _she_ did, and yes, sadly he thinks that."

Ino suddenly gasped.

"Oh no...you ran away because...DID YOU TELL HIM!"

I didn't say anything. I felt like crying, but decided not to because that would just make me look more pathetic.

"Tenten, did you tell him?" Sakura inquired. Hinata looked concerned. I felt my lip tremble.

"No! No, I did NOT tell him because I can't just tell him how I'm pathetically and hopelessly in love with him in front of his _fiance_ before kneeling and crying and begging him not to marry that horrible bit-"

"Well, why not?" Ino asked. I gave her a disbelieving look.

"Because he's getting _married_..." I said. "And I can't tell him because he doesn't care and I-" I stopped when I suddenly felt a lump forming in my throat. I quickly took another cookie but it was too late. I started to bawl like an infant. Right there. In the middle of my kitchen. I watched as my friends exchanged a bewildered look. Ino shoved Kiba into the guest room before forcing everyone into another group hug.

After an hour, the tray of cookies was almost gone. They had stayed to try to "console" me, but...

Ino shook her head fiercely, finishing a cookie. "I can't believe Neji's getting married! And to that rude whor-"

"Guys, I'm really fine now, you don't have t-"

"Men are all so stupid!" Ino barked. "And I can't believe _he_ dumped _me_! And for Temari!"

"I guess what they say is true," Sakura said, twirling her pink hair around her finger before biting a cookie. "Can't live with them...can't live without them."

"Why? What's wrong with yours?" Ino asked her. Sakura sipped some coffee.

"I've always loved Sasuke...but he...he's not perfect."

"Noooo! Really?" I asked sarcastically.

Ino laughed, nodding. "Now tell us something we don't know."

"Well, there is this other...problem," Sakura said nervously.

We looked at her curiously, waiting for her to explain. She sighed.

"Well I've started to question his...it's just that he's been acting really weird...and he spends so much time with Nar-"

Suddenly, Hinata's phone went off and we heard a loud, energetic voice blast from the speaker. She smiled and held it a little farther from her ear as it finished. After it finished, she giggled and shut her phone. Ino rolled her eyes but smiled knowingly. Sakura looked really pale for some reason.

"Let me guess," she said, her tone teasing. "That was Naruto..."

Hinata blushed and nodded timidly.

"Looks like you're the only one without any boy problems, Hinata."

We laughed as Hinata blushed even ruddier and turned to me. "Tenten, I'm afraid I have to-"

"It's fine," I assured, smiling. "Guys, you can leave now. Please."

They all got up and collected their stuff. I followed them to the door.

Just as I was about to open it, Ino suddenly slammed her hand onto it.

"Kiba! Kiba, get your butt out here!" she yelled. We heard the guest room door open and Kiba walked out, yawning and rubbing the back of his neck. He had obviously been taking a nap.

"Wha-"

"You better not do ANYTHING to Tenten!" she warned. I blinked as Kiba snorted.

"What? Like drive her into a corner when she's in a skirt...and force her to take her track pants off?" he asked, smirking. I coughed in humiliation and he laughed. "I wouldn't do anything of that sort even if she chased me around with weapons again."

They all gave me a knowing look and I found myself laughing nervously. Ino stuck her nose into the air and waved her hand at Kiba, who smirked and went back to his room. Ino took her hand off the door and held it open as Sakura and Hinata waved and left. Right before she ducked out, she took one last sniff of the air.

"He smells so _good_," she muttered almost inaudibly before exiting. I snorted as I returned to the kitchen.

When I stepped into the kitchen, Kiba came out of his room. He was carefully hanging my freshly-laundered coat from the night before on a clothes hanger. He went and put it in the closet before coming back and making me a cup of hot chocolate. I sat at the kitchen counter and sipped from my favorite mug as he seated himself across from me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded. He still looked worried. "You know, I actually went to find you, but last night, I became-"

I suddenly stopped drinking my hot chocolate when I noticed something like a bruise near his nose. I quickly set my mug down and grabbed his chin, tilting it toward the light. He blinked.

"Tenten, what're you do-"

"What happened! Your nose is-"

"Oh," he said, sounding abruptly solemn. "That must've happened when I went to find you."

I blinked. "So...you came after me too?"

"Yeah. I left first, actually."

I began sipping my hot chocolate again. "Then why did y-"

"My sister had a baby last night."

I almost choked on the hot chocolate. "Your sister WHAT?"

He looked amused. "Yeah, Hana's been pregnant for a while. Her boyfriend's been living with her and my mom...which is why I needed a place to go..."

I suddenly remembered the day I snuck into his room and read the strange text message:

_Hey Hana. How are you doing? Is everything alright? And how's Akamaru?_

_I promise I'll bring some cheesecake with bacon and pickles next time. :)_

I blew steadily at my hot chocolate as the strange combination of food slowly added up. Kiba grinned proudly and I laughed.

"Wow...Congratulations to Hana! Was it a girl or a boy?"

"Two boys and a girl," he said. "Triplets."

This time I really choked.

* * *

Neji's POV

I glared as I walked away from Tenten's house. She had decided not to tell me about living with Inuzuka, and that made me furious.

On my way back home, I crossed paths with a group of children beating a cat with a stick. My mood was so awful that I scolded them and ended up scaring them away. Then, I yelled and scared the cat into a tree.

I cringed when I realized Uncle Hiashi would be infuriated with how I had abandoned Rina. That atrocious woman had probably told her father, and he in turn, must have told Uncle Hiashi.

As expected, I was confronted by a frantic maid as soon as I entered the house.

"Sir, where have you been? We have all been terribly worried. Please go to Master Hiashi's study. He has been awaiting your arrival."

I glared as she scurried off. I walked down the corridors to Uncle Hiashi's study. Tentatively, I entered.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I'm really sorry...I know it's rather apparent that I rushed through this chapter...**

**I really want to know what you think should happen next though...because I myself am not too sure XD...**

**So please leave REVIEWS that express your ideas! Even hateful, vindictive reviews! I love those!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 9

_Recap: _

_Neji's POV_

_I cringed when I realized Uncle Hiashi would be infuriated with how I had abandoned Rina. That atrocious woman had probably told her father, and he in turn, must have told Uncle Hiashi._

_As expected, I was confronted by a frantic maid as soon as I entered the house._

_"Sir, where have you been? We have all been terribly worried. Please go to Master Hiashi's study. He has been awaiting your arrival."_

_I glared as she scurried off. I walked down the corridors to Uncle Hiashi's study. Tentatively, I entered._

I opened the door to the study and stepped inside. Uncle Hiashi was seated behind his desk. I braced myself for the inevitable scolding that would soon start.

"Uncle, I apologize for my absence last night, but I-"

"Neji, my nephew! It's fine!" he suddenly exclaimed, beaming. I froze in utter shock. He motioned to the seat in front of his desk, still smiling, and I slowly managed to sit down. I narrowed my eyes.

"Uncle, are you feeling alright?"

"Oh I'm just splendid, Neji!" he sang uncharacteristically. I watched in horror as he suddenly licked the palm of his hand and slowly slicked back his hair. Uncharacteristic had been an understatement.

I tried to speak, but found my voice had become weak with disbelief. I cleared my throat. "Well, I apologize for abandoning Rina last night, but she-"

"Why? Was she not to your liking?" he asked cluelessly. He opened one of his desk drawers and took out a bag of salty snacks I had frequently seen Choji Akimichi ingesting. He watched me with oblivious, unsuspecting curiosity and I was surprised once again when I realized he was unaware of what had happened last night.

"I had an emergency to attend to, and I left her at the meeting location abruptly."

"Oh, well I'm glad to hear that she suited your tastes."

"Actually, Uncle, I've decided-"

"The wedding will commence on a Saturday, in three weeks time."

I stared, thoroughly taken aback. I longed to believe I had misheard. Once again, he licked his palm and slicked back his hair, and it took an excruciating amount of self-control to restrain myself from throwing something. I glared in contempt.

"You said if I met her, I would have until the summer to decide whether or not to marry her."

He shrugged. "Well, I decided it was best to hurry this process along. So it's a done deal, you'll be hitched Saturday, three weeks from-"

"No," I declared. He stopped licking the snack residue off of his fingers and regarded me carefully, his gaze becoming suddenly cold.

"What?" he asked shrilly.

"I said I won't do it," I said. "I've decided I won't marry her."

"You will do as you're told," he said, his voice murderous. "The feudal lord of the Land of Coal will be here in two weeks."

"Then you should tell him not to bother coming because I'm not marrying h-"

"It's too late!" he bellowed suddenly. "The Land of Coal is a large nation. I've already invited the Hokage. Even the Kazekage will be present. You don't have a choice."

"This isn't completely about your desire to see that I'm happily married, is it?" I snapped. He laughed maliciously.

"I knew you were too clever to let that escape your attention. But that won't change your fate," he said sardonically. He slicked his hair back. "You are dismissed."

I glared, and violently stood from my seat, making the chair totter and sway as I stormed out of the study.

* * *

Tenten's POV

Married...

I repeated the word in my head as I stared at the wall on the opposite side of my bedroom. It was Monday, but I had skipped training in the morning because the doctor had said I still had some chakra to replenish. I was sitting up on my bed with my back against the headboard. My hair was outright dissheveled and I was in my pajamas. I glanced at the clock. 4:46 pm.

I sighed as I got up and went through my unfamiliar closet. I wasn't all too sure how to wear half of the items Hinata and Kiba had replaced my old clothes with. After a moment of reluctant reconciliation, I chose some random piece of purple fabric and threw it on in the manner I deemed was most logical. I went to the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth and attempted to fix my dissheveled hair. Then I trudged to the kitchen and swung open the refrigerator. Kiba had gone to visit his sister and the new babies. I would have to fix "breakfast" on my own.

As I stared blankly at the contents of my refrigerator, a morose, empty feeling overwhelmed me. The most distressing part was probably that I knew it had nothing to do with the fact that I had nothing to eat.

I quietly shut the refrigerator door and opened the freezer instead. I hastily took out a giant tub of chocolate ice cream. Within seconds, I was on my living room couch, shoveling ice cream into my mouth like I would die without it. After I had cleared half of the tub, I suddenly stopped. Why was I doing this? I knew I was sad, but I refused to acknowledge the dark, brooding reason for my doleful mood. It was hanging in the air around me; I was breathing it. Every time I drew breath it would whisper, "he's getting married..._**married**_...and he'll never even know..." in a cruel, taunting, squeaky woman's voice. I shook my head rapidly to shake the whispering voice, that somehow strangely resembled that of Neji's fiance, out of my mind. I was ready to begin inhaling ice cream again, when the doorbell rang. I picked the tub up and put it under my arm as I shuffled lifelessly to the door. I threw it open.

"What?" I asked in a surly tone, the spoon hanging out of my mouth. Hinata's eyes widened and I quickly removed the spoon. "Uh...hi Hinata...sorry...I was just-"

"T-Tenten? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine! Just haven't gotten much sleep...the doctor said I'd be a bit weak on my feet today. Uh...come in...?"

Hinata nodded and bashfully entered, carrying a tray covered with foil. She raised a brow.

"Um...Tenten...your shirt is backward..."

I blinked and glanced down. It did seem strangely unfitting, but I had presumed that was just its design. Hinata gently took the tub of ice cream from me so I could fix my shirt. She started toward the kitchen and I followed, awkwardly fumbling with the spoon while trying to correct the orientation of my shirtfront.

Once we were in the kitchen, Hinata put the ice cream back in my freezer and unwrapped the foil around the tray she had brought. It revealed a warm casserole and several smiling rice balls with buns that seemed to be modeled after me. Hinata smiled.

"T-Tenten..." she said softly. "I know you're upset...b-but...I don't want you to lose track of your health..."

I stared for a moment at the breakfast Hinata had made me, and I felt warmth radiate from them. The warmth seeped into the emptiness I had felt earlier, and I smiled at her.

"Thanks, Hinata," I said. "You're the best-"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again. We exchanged an inquisitive look and I shrugged. Perhaps it was Kiba. In my head, something evil laughed and the squeaky voice from earlier told me it wasn't.

We went to the door and I opened it unthinkingly. As soon as I saw who it was, the warmth flew out of me and I felt my heart drop. Speak of the devil.

Neji's fiance was standing there, smirking complacently.

I tried not to puke in anyone's face as I brought three cups of tea to the living room, where Hinata and Rina were sitting. Hinata looked like she would pass out at any given moment and Rina watched her keenly, the smug sneer still plastered to her face. I set the cups down and sat down.

"So _you're_ Hinata," Rina screeched. Hinata nodded almost inconspicuously. "I thought you would be a bit more...imposing."

"Hi," I said, interrupting their one-sided conversation. I had tried my best not to sound unnaturally vicious, but the effort had just made my voice sound chortled. I swallowed. "Not to sound particularly rude, but why are you here? And how did you-"

"I'm his _fiance_. Of course I know where all his little teammates live."

"Oh," I said simply, as if she had actually answered my question. There was a foreboding moment of stony silence. Hinata's hands trembled as she managed to lean forward and grip her cup of tea. Rina suddenly sighed.

"Okay, well, I'm going to make this brief...since I don't really like playing this stupid little game with you, Chenchen."

"It's not 'Chenchen,' it's Ten-"

"Look, I know you like Neji."

I froze and Hinata barely managed to hold onto her cup. Rina laughed icily.

"What?" she asked, as if amused. "You think I didn't know and I was just _accidentally_ torturing you the other night?"

I watched her in complete disbelief. She had given me the impression that she was rude and boisterous, but now she was just abhorrent. She sipped her tea cooly and continued.

"In fact, I knew from the moment I met you that you were a poor, lovesick girl who just can't get over _my_ Neji. But you see, I think I can help you with that."

"What the hell does he even see in you?"

She smirked. "More than he's ever seen in _you_, sweetie. Anyway, I really can't have you interfering with Neji's happiness anymore."

She tossed her hair and the putrid stench of that damned perfume of hers filled the air. She reached into her purse and pulled out a sealed, maroon-colored envelope. Her bright, scarlet fingernails flashed as she handed it to me. I took it precariously.

"What is this?"

"Go ahead. Open it."

I glared at her as she sipped more tea. I ripped open the envelope. My eyes widened when I realized what was going on. Inside the envelope was a pink card. It was the most elaborate and ornate piece of paper I had possibly ever seen. My name was printed in large, fancy pink script at the front. I opened it.

_Neji and Rina_

_Neji Hyuga and Rina Mori request _

_the honor of your presence _

_as they join hands in marriage_

_in the Hyuga Clan estate_

_on the twenty-ninth of December_

_at four o' clock in the afternoon_

I stopped reading. Hinata was near tears and Rina was leering.

"I wanted to deliver the message myself," she hissed. "Oh, and don't take this the wrong way. I'm only doing this because you seem at least _somewhat_ like a threat. Although I'm usually not at _all_ intimidated by girls who are just _so_ much uglier than me."

Suddenly, she smiled sickeningly and reached into her purse again. She took out another envelope; the same kind that held the invitation. She slid it across the table. When I opened it and found what it contained, I felt my face flush with anger.

"What are you trying to say with this?" I asked venomously, waving the envelope filled with cash in the air. She laughed, the sound like shattering glass.

"It's 25,000 in cash," she replied pompously. "Take that and stay away from my Neji. And our wedding."

At those words, I felt my throat clench. I watched as she finished her tea, sneering at me over the rim of the cup. Hinata was paler than the moon. As Rina set her cup down, I tucked the money back into the envelope and slid it back across the table.

"I thought you were obnoxious before, but now I know you're foul. How could you do this!"

"I'm doing this because I love Neji. And he loves me more than he loves any orphan wench like you."

"You don't love him. You wouldn't be doing this if you did."

"I don't care at all what you say to me. You're just bitter and no matter what you say, I'll still be the one exchanging vows with him three weeks from now. Even if you don't take the stupid money."

I glowered at her as she got up, grabbing her purse. Before she turned to leave, she addressed Hinata.

"And you," she snapped. "If you tell anyone about this, I'm afraid I won't be able to tolerate you, even as the official heiress, or my new sister-in-law."

After inducing fear and terror in Hinata's heart, she turned and arrogantly paraded to the door, slamming the door shut on her way out. I looked at Hinata, who had started crying.

"Hinata, I'm...I'm so sorry," I said. She shook her head.

"No, Tenten!" she said. She shook her head, wiping her cheek with her sleeve. "I'm not the one who should be crying. I'm sorry. I'll...I'll t-tell Neji about this as soon as-"

"No...just...just let it go, Hinata," I said. Her eyes widened.

"Tenten, how can you...how c-can you just-"

"That's his fiancee. Whether I love her or not is not important. _He_ loves her. I sure as hell don't know why, but apparently he does. And that's all that matters now."

"This is wrong...I...I don't..."

"Hinata, please."

She looked at me, biting her lip. She sighed.

"F-fine...but are you sure th-this-"

"I don't know. Maybe I-"

Suddenly, Hinata's phone beeped. Someone had texted her.

"It's S-Sakura...she says she needs help carrying some b-books...but I...I don't have t-"

"It's okay, Hinata."

Hinata nodded somberly and stood to leave. As she descended the porch steps, I called after her.

"Hinata, I think you can tell Sakura."

"A-Are you sure R-Rina won't-"

"Who's going to tell her? Undercover police? It'll be fine."

Hinata nodded again. "Will you be okay?"

I nodded and waved as she left. I shut the door and slowly stumbled to the couch. In reality, I didn't feel okay at all. My phone started ringing and I sighed as I checked the ID. It was Ino.

"Ino?"

"TENTEN! We have to talk! I'll treat you to dinner! I just have this great ide-"

"Ino...I'm not really feeling too...Can this wait?"

"Nope. You're meeting me at Ichiraku's in fifteen minutes and we're going to talk about EVERYTHING. It can't _possibly_ be good for your health to just stay at home _all_ day after a traumatizing event like that!"

"Wait, I-"

Click. She hung up. I cursed under my breath as I went to the kitchen and scarfed down a piece of Hinata's casserole and a couple rice balls. Then, I grabbed my coat and plodded outside to meet Ino.

* * *

I found Ichiraku's Ramen Shop and entered under the flap hanging from the top of the entrance. Ino was already there, sitting on a stool. She turned on the seat and smiled as I sat in the one next to hers.

"How've you been? Okay? Or have you been shoveling ice cream in your mouth like you do when you're-"

"Hinata stopped by today," I interjected. "And so did Neji's fiance."

Ino's jaw dropped. "Holy shit! How did that happ-"

"She brought the wedding invitation. And then offered $25,000 to keep me from going."

"WHAT! Did you take it!"

"No...but I hesitated...and she threatened Hinata to keep her from telling Neji, and then left."

"Oh my god, she's such a bitc-"

"It's in three weeks."

"Shut up! You can't be serious!"

"Do you really believe I'd be joking about th-"

"Oh my god you ARE serious...are you going to go...?"

I didn't respond right away, and waited as Ayame put two bowls of ramen in front of us, smiled, and went back into the kitchen. I sighed and stared at my bowl.

"Should I? It's not like he'd really care wheth-"

"TENTEN!" Ino yelled, elbowing me.

"Ow...what was that for!"

"You have to go! Well, for one thing, you have to go and show that trashy little monster that she doesn't control you!" Ino hollered. "Also...you have to support someone you love as he enters a new stage in his life, whether we want him to or not."

I thought about what she said for a few seconds before cringing. Unfortunately, she was actually right.

"You know what, I want to, okay? I really do...except I hate to say this, but I don't know if I can do th-"

"I know, I know...I totally understand," Ino said, eating her ramen daintily. I raised a brow.

"You do?"

"Of course! You don't think you can go..." she said. "Because you don't have an escort."

I blinked. I had actually believed she had understood.

"Uh...no...that's not exactly what-"

"Well of course you can't go with _Kiba_ because that's not really going to show him you've moved on and besides he hates Kiba's guts-"

"Ino, I hate myself for admitting this, but I honestly _haven't_ moved on."

"Well, that doesn't mean you have to show up at his wedding looking like some single, desperate, lonely, lovesick little girl!"

"It doesn't?"

"Nope. Which is why..." Ino began mischievously. She grinned. "I meddled a little bit."

I winced. "Oh no...what did you do?"

"I decided to help you find an escort with blind dates!"

"Ino, I really don't need-"

"Tenten," she said, her tone suddenly shifting. She looked my directly in the eyes. "Being devoted to one person for the rest of your life, even though they aren't devoted to you, is noble. But it's painful. I don't want you to do that."

I blinked. Her statement made me despise myself, and my own stupid inanity. But somehow, I knew she was right. I was trying to hold on to something that wasn't mine. It didn't want to be mine.

She was still looking at me, but her expression had changed from pleading to knowingly sanctimonious. I sighed.

"Fine, but you can't make this worse than it has to-"

"YAY!" she squealed, hugging me tightly. "Attagirl!"

We conversed for a while as we finished our meal. When we were finished, we said our goodbyes. Ino decided to stay for a little while longer. I smiled and waved at her before turning to leave. Suddenly, she spoke, and her words caught me by surprise.

"Oh, by the way," she said casually. "Your first date's tomorrow."

I cursed under my breath the entire way home.

* * *

Ino's POV

"Oh, by the way, your first date's tomorrow."

I smirked as Tenten visibly stiffened before leaving. I sighed, praying she really was as okay as she seemed. Abruptly, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked. "Kiba?"

"Did you talk to Tenten?"

"Yeah, she just left."

"Okay. I'll be there in a second."

"Good. And bring paper and a pencil to take notes. We have a lot of scheming to do," I said. "If we're going to help Tenten and Neji."

* * *

**Thank you. I hope you enjoyed! Please REVIEW!**

**And sorry about the late update!**

**Once again...thank you...:)**


	10. Chapter 10

Hi readers...This one goes out to you guys, especially readers like Sharp in the reviews. Thanks and sorry about being late...again...^^

But...better late as opposed to never...?

:)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 10

_Recap:_

_Ino's POV_

_"Hello?" I asked. "Kiba?"_

_"Did you talk to Tenten?"_

_"Yeah, she just left."_

_"Okay. I'll be there in a second."_

_"Good. And bring paper and a pencil. We have a lot of scheming to do," I said. "If we're going to help Tenten and Neji."_

* * *

Ino's POV cont.

I sighed and watched another minute change on my phone screen as I waited for Kiba. He was almost fourteen minutes late. _If another minute changes, I'm leaving_, I thought. _I, Ino Yamanaka, wait for no one...especially not for men._

A moment passed and I glanced at my phone just as one more minute morphed into another. I frowned when I found myself wanting to give him one more minute. _No_, I told myself. _You have a standard to keep!_

With a disppointed pout, I stood to leave when he suddenly burst through the entrance, stumbling against the flap above it. He was grinning sheepishly like he was embarassed about being late and his cheeks were flushed, as if he had been running.

"Hey, Ino."

"You're late," I replied, sounding bitter although I was ecstatic. He winced when he heard my biting tone and laughed nervously.

"Yeah...so I stopped to help this lady ta-"

"WHAT! You stopped to flirt with girls? That's _so_ inappro-"

"The 'girl' was about 70 years old...and I helped her carry her groceries home."

I blinked as the situation became clearer. He was smirking.

"Oh," I said, my voice sounding flat. I cleared my throat, which had suddenly started to feel very dry. "Well don't be late again, or I'll just leave before-"

"Why were you so upset anyway? It was just ten minutes, you kn-"

"Almost sixteen!" I exclaimed. He raised a brow, making me realize exactly how embarassing it was that I had implied that I had been counting the minutes. He chuckled darkly.

"You were actually counting? Ha, that's actually kind of sweet...in a really awkward, creepy w-"

"Shut up! Let's just get to work."

* * *

Ino's POV cont.

"So...Tenten hired you to be her date that one night, right?" I asked, as we walked down the street.

"Yeah, and I sort of didn't have a choice."

"And through a series of related circumstances, Neji now thinks you're her boyfriend who lives with her?"

"Yeah, but he'd never admit knowing that to Tenten."

"Okay...so now all we have to do is carry out the plan."

"What exactly _is_ your 'plan'?" he asked.

"Hinata, Sakura, and I talked about it, and we came up with something based on what Hinata had said about Neji and his...well...his disposition."

"Disposition?"

"Hinata said that when they were little, Neji was really different."

"Different how?"

"Well, he was just different, and believe it or not, Neji had a very romantic attitude toward love."

He started laughing so I elbowed him sharply. He kept laughing.

"That's a joke, right? Whatever, so what does this have to do with-"

"So if we can get Neji jealous enough, he'll see how evil Rina is, and choose the right thing to do, which would be to dump her ass for Tenten."

"And what if that doesn't work?"

"It will. Because we also need to get Tenten to confess. That'll be the final trick."

"And we have how long to do this?"

"Three weeks. It's on a Saturday," I said. He snorted in disbelief.

"You're crazy! How do you even know if this is possib-"

"Meh, I've done this a few times before."

"Yep, you're definitely crazy. But...it's worth a shot...I guess. So what do I have to do?"

"You just have to be a bad boyfriend."

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means you have to pretend that you're Tenten's boyfriend in front of Neji but make it seem like she's unhappy with you. If worst comes to worst, we're going to have to initiate a back-up plan. I'll make everything else happen. And of course, Tenten has to stay oblivious to all our efforts."

"Which is why you're sending her on blind dates?"

"Yes."

He frowned. "I don't see why that's _absolutely_ necessary. Can't you ju-"

"It'll keep her busy," I explained. Suddenly, I found his expression suspicious. "Wait, why are you against Tenten going on blind dates?"

His eyes widened. "I...just don't think it's right, that's all."

I stopped walking. He turned around to face me as I came closer to him. I stared him in the eyes, searching.

"Ino, w-what are you d-"

"Do you like Tenten?"

He froze, and my search was complete. I would normally have laughed at a moment like this, but for some reason, I felt wounded.

"Why? Is that against the rules?" he asked in a derisive tone. I put my hands on my hips.

"We're about to help her and Neji! You can't have those kinds of feelings for her!"

"Why not!" he shouted. Then he exhaled sharply. "But I do want her to be happy."

"She can't be happy if you...Kiba," I said softly. "Let go." He was looking away toward an old bearded man selling vegetables nearby. His eyes were cloudy and unreadable but I could tell he was upset. It had started snowing and a fat flake fell onto his long brown lashes. Recklessly, I found my hand slowly reach up and rest on his cheek, brushing the snowflake away before dropping back to my side. He reluctantly turned to face me again.

"I'll get over it, okay? I just...can't get over her _right_ now."

"Fine. But you have to promise that you will," I asserted. "And that you won't screw this up because you can't."

He nodded, the light coming back into his eyes. He was so easily affected; he was like a small child, or a puppy. Suddenly, a smile crept onto my face and I hugged him.

"You'll be able to," I said, patting his back. I was about to let go when I felt something tug at my skirt. I shoved him off violently.

"You pig! You just said you liked Tenten and now you're clawing at my SKIRT!" How dare y-"

"That's not it, I swear! Your skirt was pinned up by your jacket so I just fixed-"

"Nothing's wrong with my skirt!" I protested. He snorted.

"First of all, that's because I fixed it. Second, it barely covers your-"

"I can wear what I want!"

"See, women like you are the problem! What kind of self-respecting girl wears a skirt like that? And in the middle of the winter..."

"What are you trying to say!" I yelled defiantly.

"You look indecent! What do you think men will think when they see you!" he yelled back. "If you were my little sister I'd never let you go outside in th-"

I cut him off by pinning his foot with my left stiletto heel, making him yelp. I pulled my skirt back up to my waistline and walked off proudly. He quickly caught up to me and fixed my skirt again. I stared at him for a second in mortification before quickly undoing his work and walking faster, gritting my teeth in embarassment as some people took notice of our ridiculous behavior. He continued to catch up to me until we were past the crowded streets, in front of a park, where I broke into a sprint. I ran about 6 meters before my left heel gave way and broke under my foot. I elicited a sharp cry as I fell to the pavement below.

He caught up again as I carefully managed to stand up, hobbling on one precarious 4-inch heel. He snorted in biting amusement when he saw my condition, laughing as I glared.

"Look at that!" I spat, pointing to my broken heel on the ground. "See what you've done? How am I supposed to walk home now!"

He grinned, expressing what seemed to be sympathy as well as satisfaction. He bent down to pick the heel up, before standing and observing it curiously between his forefinger and thumb. He smirked, shaking his head as he suddenly took off his own shoes.

"Take off your shoes," he ordered. I glared.

"I will NOT be wearing mens' shoes!"

"Your house is 6 blocks away. Tenten's is around the corner. Just wear them."

I crossed my arms and turned my head obstinately. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to calm myself. He was right about my house being 6 blocks away, but he seemed oblivious to the fact that I would rather die barefoot than be caught in guys' shoes. I heard him chuckle and suddenly felt my feet being guided into his shoes. My eyes shot open and I struggled against his grip on my ankle. It was no use.

When he had finished confining my feet to their unfashionable new imprisonment, he stood, and before I could kick them off my feet, he embraced me. I felt myself stiffen in shock as he quickly hugged me, patted my head, and waved sheepishly before running off, leaving me alone with his shoes.

* * *

Tenten's POV

The next morning, Lee kicked my ass on numerous occasions throughout training. I begged my brain to focus, but it decided to continue lingering on Ino's news from last night. As the morning approached noon, my humiliation grew, causing me to shrivel in the presence of my teammates. It did not help that Neji was always watching me; scrutinizing my every mistake while leaning cooly against a tree nearby, looking gorgeous as usual. His expression was absolutely obfuscating. He was silent all morning, and though I could not explain why, his gaze felt colder and more judgmental than usual. When training finally ended and Lee helped me out of a tree, I felt relief overwhelm my bruised limbs as well as my aching head.

"Tenten-chan?" Lee asked. He leaned forward to examine my frown, his bushy brows quizzical. "Are you okay today? You seem...distracted..."

I sighed. "I'm just out of it this morning."

Lee nodded and started divulging a consoling story Gai had told him about the "lonely tiger" and the "youthful panda" when Neji suddenly came near us to grab a water bottle. He stared at me for a moment but said nothing. Lee chattered excitedly.

"And so the lonely tiger was always cranky because he was alone...and he payed the panda 5 bamboo stalks to paint lucky stripes that would help him befriend the other animals...but the other animals still alienated him because of his violent past and the stripes added to his threatening reputation. But the panda who painted his stripes saw the tiger's true self and they became friends for 100 years," he concluded, a dreamy look fogging his eyes. "Which is why tigers prefer to eat other animals to pandas! But anyway the point of honorable Gai-sensei's brilliant story was to say that you are special and loved although you kind of failed at practice today, Tente-"

"Tenten!" someone called from the other side of the field. We turned to see Kiba approaching us. I raised a brow.

"Kiba?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

He laughed for some reason. "What do you mean, silly? Just stopped by to help you carry that mace home, you know? Looks heavy," he said, smiling sweetly. I shrugged.

"Okay, then...bye Lee. Bye Neji," I said as I struggled to tie my shinobi headband, which had come undone. My fingers felt strangely numb and I found myself blindly trying to navigate them correctly behind my head. Kiba laughed in amusement.

"Here, I'll do it," he said, stepping behind me. Again, I was slightly bewildered but stood still. My eyes settled on Neji, who was glowering profusely. I looked away as Kiba suddenly guided me into his jacket. I stared at him incredulously.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked, smirking suspiciously. He grinned.

"Nothing! But it's cold, you know." He finished wrapping me in his jacket and brushed a stray hair from my cheek. Lee laughed.

"How generous of you, youthful Kiba!" Lee cried. "I did not know you and Tenten were such good friends!"

Kiba nodded. "Of course we are!" he exclaimed.

"We are?" I asked, blinking in confusion. He chuckled good-naturedly, putting an arm around me.

"You're so funny, Tenten. We can _also_ be friends, you know." His attention shifted from Lee to Neji. "You're the best of friends, and I feel awfully bad for anyone who missed their chance to be _friendly_ with you."

I tilted my head inquisitively. For some reason Neji looked like he was dying and Lee was giggling like a lunatic. Something questionably fishy was going on, but I simply dismissed it as Kiba sucking up to me because he broke a dish or something. Lee poked Neji cautiously.

"Neji-kun, you look really red! Are you okay!" Lee asked in concern, continuing to poke him. Neji coldly brushed Lee's finger away.

"Hn."

* * *

My feet felt immensely heavy as I walked to the place where I would meet Ino's first choice. I had never been on a blind date before and did not feel like going on one at all, especially with Neji living in every possible crevice of my thoughts. I silently contemplated ditching. It was an extremely tempting option, but I found myself feeling bad for the person Ino had probably bribed to meet me. I sighed as I entered a steakhouse.

_I might as well get this over with_, I thought. As soon as I entered the place, someone waved enthusiastically, calling me. I turned to see them and my eyes widened in horror. Jiraiya was sitting across the room, grinning. At first I thought he was just greeting me as a student. As I approached, my worst nightmares broke free of their rightful inhibitions.

"Miss Tenten! Wow you really do look different!" he leered, eyeing me with a strange, feverish gaze. I glared, and he laughed anxiously. "I mean, you look beautiful!"

"Uh, Jiraiya...Mister...Jiraiya...? I thought this was a blind da-"

"Of course! Of course!" he assured. I blinked, confused, but sat across from him. _I'll eat, listen intently, and then get the hell out of here as soon as possible..._

* * *

About half an hour passed with Jiraiya recounting stories of his shinobi career so far. They were actually extremely engaging tales, and I was reminded that he was in fact, a powerful village elder. However, I found myself unable to concentrate on his words, because all of them seemed to have something to do with Neji. During the middle of one story about his days as Kakashi Hatake's teacher, he suddenly leaned forward, leering eerily at me. I blinked nervously.

"Uh...hi...what are you-"

He seemed to snicker a little as he grinned. "That's a very nice, low-cut blouse," he stated, staring at my chest. I cringed and shifted as far away as I could.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want any food getting on it," I said, quickly tying a napkin/makeshift bib around my neck to cover my entire front. Jiraiya cleared his throat sheepishly and moved back again. I exhaled a bit in relief to see that his advances had stopped. Or so it seemed.

He snickered again, his face turning red. My eyes watched him dubiously as I finished my last bite of steak. Creeping forward again, he squinted his eye as if he could see through my napkin/bib, making me gulp uncomfortably.

"How 'bout we go see a movie now, since you're all full of food, hm?"

I am genuinely sorry to say that I actually considered the notion. He had payed for all the lunch, and seemed to have the intention of paying for the movie as well. _I'm pretty sure I've had to put up with his perverted nature even before this nightmare of a date_, I thought. _Maybe I might as well get free food and a movie out of it..._

"Uh, sure," I agreed hesitantly. "What movie did you have in mind?"

He giggled ominously, almost drooling now. "_Well_..." he started innocently enough. "You see, Tenten-chan, my newest book has been made into a movie and I really need a female audience member to screen it before its release..."

I blinked. His newest book?

"You write?" I asked, dumbfounded. He raised a brow.

"Of course! I'm surprised you haven't heard of it...it's rather...addictive..."

For a moment, my mind continued to stay blank, frantically browsing all of my memory to find an answer. Jiraiya wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, as if to try to give me a hint.

_Book...addictive..._

I almost choked when I suddenly remembered the little pocket-sized books Kakashi-sensei constantly reads. I forced my best fake laugh, which probably sounded more like a dying animal, and jolted up from the seat.

"Uh, Jiraiya-sensei, I just remembered...I have to go...to wash my housekeeper and check the dishes!" I exclaimed, not immediately realizing my error. When I did, I hit my forehead in exasperation. "Never mind...anyway, so I'll be leaving n-"

"Wait! But we can screen it at my house! Just you and me...on the couch..."

"NOOO!" I shouted instinctively. He stood and crept toward me as I tried to hold on to my composure and softened my voice. "I mean...no...my housekeeper needs to be checked on constantly...uh...have a nice day!" I said before escaping.

* * *

As soon as I was home, I called Ino.

"Hello? Tenten, what's u-"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!"

"What was what? Oh, and how was your date?"

"'WHAT WAS WHAT?' YOU GOT JIRAIYA! WHY!"

"Oh, I thought you two would have a lot in common."

"WHAT! I'm not doing this anymo-"

"Actually, you-are-because-the-next-one-is-next-Wednesday! Bye, love you!" she speedily slurred before hanging up. My mouth fell agape in horror.

"No...I'm not going..." I moaned to nobody in particular. Just then, Kiba came in through the front door with a small boy perhaps around 7 or 8 years old.

"Not going where?" he asked, smirking nonchalantly. I watched in silent disbelief as he took the child's coat off and hung it in the closet.

"Kiba, I almost didn't notice, but _why_ is there a kid in here!"

Before he could answer, the child boldly ran toward me and cheekily stuck his tongue out at me.

"Hey, I'm not a 'kid,' lady!" he exclaimed. "I'm eight and a half!"

I watched him incredulously before giving Kiba a warning look. He laughed.

"He's my cousin. He'll only be here until five, I promise."

I shook my head. "Oh no. I already have you in here as it is...a little kid is the last th-"

"I told you! I'm not a kid!" he cried brattily. I sighed.

"I cannot concede having another...youthful spirit...in here. I'm paying you to be housekeeper not babysitter."

"Aw...Come on, Tenten," he pleaded. I frowned when he abruptly pouted, staring at me with those sneaky, dastardly puppy eyes. When I continued to persevere, he nudged the small brat who joined in with those same, bewitching eyes...

"Ugh! Just stop! Stop with the pouting and the eyeing...just ew! Stop!" I commanded. They both grinned; aware of their victory. At that moment, Kiba's phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered. His countenance turned grave as he listened to the caller. It was a short conversation, about 15 seconds before he hung up. Instantly, he ran for the door.

"What's going on?" I asked. He bit his lip pensively.

"It was Hana...There's been a bit of an emergency and she needs a little help."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah she's fine, she just needs help with the triplets," he assured. "Uh, Tenten could you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Okay, can you take care of Yuki? Thanks I'll be back at five, bye!" he sang before shutting the door. I blinked as a mocking demon called deja vu tugged at my sleeve. I looked down at my sleeve. There was no demon but the little brat was the one pulling my sleeve eagerly.

"What?" I snapped. He grinned. His grin was like Kiba's. It was slightly awry but different because it was full of awkward, childish shyness rather than sheepish sarcasm.

He watched my peculiarly. "You _are_ cranky," he stated. I frowned. "Maybe that's why you're the old maid..."

"What!" I bellowed as he wiped his nose. "Did Kiba call me Old M-"

"I wanna go to the park!" he declared. I sighed. _He must have passed the park around the corner on his way here..._

"You know what? It's better to have you running around and breaking things outside than in here. Let's go."

I took my coat before fishing his coat out of the closet and tossed it to him. When he was finally done finding both holes for arms and squirming into it, I opened the door and we left.

* * *

"Is your name really Old?"

"My name?" I asked. "Well it is homely and old-fashioned but my parents liked-"

"So you're really Miss Maid?" he asked curiously. I blinked before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"No! I'm not Old Maid...just call me Tenten."

"Okay, Tenten. That's an icky old-fashioned name."

"Hey! It's not that bad! It's nice once you get used-"

"Tenten."

We stopped walking and I looked up from Yuki's round, cherubic face. Neji was standing on the opposite side of the street. Holding a leash. Walking a small, white pomeranian. He came toward us, and Yuki burst with excitement.

"Tenten! Do you know this guy!" he cried. I nodded, still staring at Neji. Yuki jumped up and down, tugging at Neji's sleeve. "Mister, can I pet your dog? Please please please!"

Neji's stare broke away from me as he regarded Yuki and nodded. For a moment, we stared at each other again as Yuki laughed and hugged the lively dog. I wondered why I could not form words as I fell into two blank, lavendar-tinted pools. They were pools of remote and frigid water at first, but as I fell deeper I was surprised to discover a sliver of something inexplicable at the very bottom.

Sorrow.

* * *

**Thank you for reading...although I'm pretty sure I've lost all of my frequent readers by now XD...sorry about being late...**

**I think I have at least three possible directions for the ending of this story now...and believe me this ending is a lot closer than you'd think. XD**

**BUT remember...I won't know what you want unless you tell me! Hopefully in the form of reviews?**

**I always love an angry, sarcastic, ranting review to get me motivated for another chapter! **

**And I also like the friendly kind. So please REVIEW. Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 11

_Recap:_

_Tenten's POV_

_"Tenten! Do you know this guy!" he cried. I nodded, still staring at Neji. Yuki jumped up and down, tugging at Neji's sleeve. "Mister, can I pet your dog? Please please please!"_

_Neji's stare broke away from me as he regarded Yuki and nodded. For a moment, we stared at each other again as Yuki laughed and hugged the lively dog. I wondered why I could not form words as I fell into two blank, lavendar-tinted pools. They were pools of remote and frigid water at first, but as I fell deeper I was surprised to discover a sliver of something inexplicable at the very bottom._

_Sorrow._

* * *

Tenten's POV

"Is he a friend of yours?" Neji asked, referring to Yuki. I laughed.

"Why yes...he's...my friend's cousin."

Moments of silence passed as we sat on a park bench, watching Yuki play with the vivacious, white dog. During those quiet moments I wondered why we weren't talking. He was usually quiet by nature, but when he had suggested we go to the park, I assumed he had something to say. Was it because he was waiting for me to initiate some kind of conversation? Was it uncomfortably silent because of my own guilt for liking him? Even worse...was he quiet because he knew I liked him and pitied me! What if he...hated me?

My eyes carefully moved to the side, and using my peripheral vision, I watched him breathe; his beautiful lips forming clouds of warm, visible breath in the chilly air around us. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was not forming clouds at all, and I forced myself to breathe. The air felt icy, sharp and almost painful in my nose. Everything started to feel colder and agonizing as the silence grew longer. The bench felt harder and the stinging wintriness from the snow beneath my feet seemed to seep through my boots. When I finally couldn't endure the freezing agony any longer, I found myself talking.

"I didn't know you had a dog," I blurted. To my surprise, as soon as the words left my mouth, I actually did feel warmer. He continued to look away, but shook his head.

"It's not my dog. It's Hanabi's. She's still on her first B-rank mission so I'm walking it for her."

"Oh. I thought you hated dogs."

He suddenly turned to face me, a puzzled, but somewhat flattered, look on his handsome face. "How did you know that?"

I pondered, trying to remember exactly when I had learned the fact. My efforts took me back to our very first mission together, a D-rank with Lee and Gai-sensei, where we had to catch dogs for a patron. I couldn't help smiling when the memory returned to me.

The dogs had tackled Neji, slobbered on him, and then ripped the seat of his pants of entirely. After we had removed the dogs from him, he had stood up with a mortified look on his face, glaring murderously at everyone...including the dogs. In a thoroughly disgusted voice, he had sworn never to handle "slimy, savage mutts" again, even for the hokage himself, before reluctantly putting on Gai'sensei's spare green spandex suit behind a tree to cover his ripped shorts.

"What?" he snapped, pulling me back to the present. "Why are you laughing?"

I grinned. "Do you remember our first team mission?"

He frowned in disdain, as if the humiliating memory of that day still returned to haunt him every now and then. "The dog-catcher one?" he asked, wincing.

For a second he seemed to comb through the memory, his brows knitting together as he searched for the mentioned moment. But I could tell when he found it because he blushed. It was extremely subtle; the majority of people probably would not have noticed it. But a soft, nervous, pink hue surfaced on his stately cheekbones. At that moment, I was reminded of how vulnerable he actually was. Smirking scornfully at his own humiliation, he pinched the bridge of his nose as if the remembrance had caused him a headache.

"The fact that you can still remember that is...very embarassing," he mumbled, simpering and shaking his head. His blush darkened to a more conspicuous shade and I fought to suppress laughter. Unfortunately, I failed and started laughing in stifled giggles. He was just too cute.

He shot me a look of diffident exasperation, raising a stern brow but smiling in a way that I could best describe as an embarassed smirk. "Is it that funny?" he asked.

I nodded, chuckling. "Haaa...and you had to wear the suit!"

I stopped laughing abruptly when his expression suddenly changed. He looked _pissed_. For a few seconds my heartbeat burned out and died.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, mentally kicking myself. "That was out of li-"

I was interrupted by his laughter. My hand came over my mouth in a soundless gasp as I watched him, his head thrown back in howling laughter.

"Neji?" I asked tentatively. "Are you okay?" I poked his shoulder as his laughter softly faded. He gazed at me thoughtfully.

"Tenten, I'm fine. I..." he trailed off. He smiled. "What else do you remember?"

I tilted my head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...about me. Things you can recall about me."

My eyes closed as I began to sort through a stockpile of memories. Thousands of brilliant images seemed to appear. I found pictures of his smug smirk, his smell, the tart tone of his voice, and the warmth of his hands wrapped over mine around the stem of a wine glass.

"Hmmmm..." I said, finishing my search. "I remember...that you hate dogs, as well as spicy food and pumpkin...you like fish soba...you dislike wearing scarves, you got stuck in a tree when you were four, you use shampoo and conditioner imported from the Land of Honey, and you can't wink."

"What else?"

I grinned, embarassed for divulging the fact that I remembered so much of him. "Well...you're right handed but prefer to play a left-handed guitar."

"And?"

"Uh...You have a stuffed tiger named Mao."

"How'd you know that?"

"Hanabi told me once," I said, giggling. He sighed.

"How will you remember this later?"

"What? Why do you want me to remem-"

"Just promise me you won't forget."

I smiled, standing up. I dramatically raised my right hand and spoke sarcastically. "I, Tenten Wei, swear to never forget any of my comrade's embarassing and most disgraceful moments and promise to dutifully remind him of them until said comrade goes crazy. So help me god."

He rolled his eyes as I sat back down on the bench, laughing at him. "Why would I ever forget those?" I asked him blithely.

"Because I'll be away from you."

"You're going somewhere?"

"No."

I gave him a silly look. He took his gloves off and looked up at the sky, which was completely white. Clouds covered the entire expanse, blocking the blue out with a blanket of milk. I found myself looking toward it as well, trying to discover what he was staring at. Before I could find out, he nudged my shoulder. I tore myself away from the strange sky to see his hand in front of me.

"Look," he instructed, his hand still in front of my face. I blinked, but took his hand and observed it.

"Want me to read your palm?"

"No, look at the rings."

He was wearing four. I could identify three of them; on his left little finger was an agate stone with the Branch family signet, he wore his anbu class ring on his right ring finger, and on his right index finger was one of the three friendship rings worn by him, Hinata and Hanabi. The fourth one was a rose gold ring on his right pinkie finger. I had seen him wear it everyday, but had never dared to ask him if it meant anything. I had assumed it was just a ring.

I took note of the absence of his engagement ring, making myself try to smile as I was reminded of his impending wedding.

"Hey, where's your engagement ring?" I asked as cheerfully as I could manage.

"In the Land of Coal, where Rina's from, people wear their engagement rings on their right little finger."

I blinked. "Oh...it's really pretty. But I didn't know men wore pink engageme-"

"It's not mine," he muttered. "It was handed down to me from my mother."

"Oh," I said, at a loss for words. I watched as he took the rosy ring off.

"Because of my engagement ring, I won't be able to wear it anymore. It only fits on my little finger," he said, handing it to me.

"Uh, my fingers are pretty bulky, so I don't th-"

When I didn't take it, he took my hand, slipped my glove off and guided the rosy ring onto my right ring finger. Unfortunately for me, it did fit.

"Neji, I don't think I should be trying on your mother's ri-"

"Hn."

I took it off, but before I could put it back in his hand, he stood up, his back toward me.

"Keep it for me."

"What the hell? I can't just keep your-"

"It was supposed to be abandoned a long time ago. Just keep it safe for me, Tenten. Until I can find a place for it."

I stared at his back. He turned his face toward me very slightly, and I was stunned to see the unexpected look in his eyes. Instead of radiating anger or annoyance, they were pleading.

I sighed.

"Fine. But find a safe place soon, okay?"

Before he could respond, Yuki and Hanabi's dog, Baitu, ran toward us, shouting and barking.

"Tenten, Can I go on a walk with Baitu? Please please please!" he begged, his eyes sparkling childishly.

"Sorry, Yuki, but you can't go on the trail by yours-"

"Hn. I'll go," Neji offered.

"Seriously? Would it be okay?" I asked, but he was already up, holding Yuki's hand and walking toward the edge of the woods.

* * *

About ten minutes later, we were walking through a snow-lined canopy. I held Baitu's leash, with Neji and Yuki walking ahead of us. Suddenly, a mischievous idea entered my head, and I wrapped Baitu's leash around my wrist once. I carefully tiptoed to one side of the trail, and formed a ball the size of my fist with the thick, dense snow covering the grass. I aimed for the back of Neji's head, and with my free hand, I threw.

Plop! He froze, stiffening as my snowball accurately hit its target. He turned around with a knowing look on his face, and I waved innocently before pointing implicatively at Baitu.

Within seconds, we were engaged in a snowball fight, with Baitu and Yuki frolicking and laughing between our crossfire. After a few minutes of battling, I snuck behind a tree with three snowballs, preparing to catch my target by surprise. However, when I glanced to the side of the trunk to throw, he was gone. I frowned and was about to walk toward the empty clearing where he should have been when something pulled me back around and threw me against the tree.

"Gah!" I yelped, dropping my ammunition. Neji smirked. I was trapped; he had both arms out with his gloved hands against the tree, one on either side of my head.

"Do you surrender?" he teased. I frowned. I glimpsed the branches above him, drooping from the weight of piled snow. I simpered haughtily.

"Not yet," I muttered, a sly escape forming in the back of my mind. He quirked a brow at me as he suddenly drew even closer. At first I could only presume he was narrowing my confines in an effort to extract a surrender from me.

But suddenly he closed his eyes, drawing even closer. I felt my cheeks burn, my mind going absolutely blank as his face, or his lips in particular, neared mine.

Panicked and not knowing what to do, I instinctually knocked my elbow forcefully against the trunk of the tree behind me, shaking the branches above us. Sure enough, the heavy pile of cumilated snow above Neji fell, plopping onto his head with a thud. He blinked speechlessly at first, his face still inches from mine.

"Uh...I...I...truce?" I asked, my voice coming out in a breathy whisper. He opened his eyes, looking away. It was silent for a second, and I could hear his heart beating just as loudly as mine.

_What...just happened...?_

To my surprise, he broke into a shy, embarassed sort of smirk. And for some reason, we both started laughing.

His laugh seemed genuine, but I knew mine was not. I also found I was still deeply startled and confused from what I still couldn't quite believe had just happened.

* * *

"Mister, why do you look so _mad_ all the time?" Yuki asked, pulling one side of his hat over his cold, pink ear. We were now walking on a street lined with food carts and shop windows brightly lit with paper lanterns. Neji glanced down at him curiously.

"I look mad?"

"You look _pissed_," the child stated, too candidly. Neji snorted, ruffling the kid's hair.

"I'm not mad. Why would I b-"

"And are you Tenten-neechan's _boyfriend_?"

Neji stiffened as they walked. Yuki poked him incessantly, a cheeky pout on his face.

"What?" Neji snapped, disconcerted. I sighed.

"Yuki, why would you ask something like th-"

"And Tenten, do you like Mister Mad-Face?" he blurted. I felt my face heat despite the cold air around us.

"What! No! That's none of your-I mean, you shouldn't ask people about weird things like that," I chided.

"Poo," the child said, sticking his tongue out. I stuck my tongue back out at him while Neji seemed to smirk smugly.

"Do you think we should like each other?"

My eyes widened. I was almost about to speak, when Yuki answered and I realized I wasn't the one being addressed.

"Yesh," he replied brazenly.

Neji smirked at the child, who was eyeing the food carts around us. Neji asked, "Do you want something to eat?"

The child turned to him, looking curious but pleased. "Really?"

* * *

We walked over to a cart selling dangos, skewered mochi, and a variety of fried items. Neji studied them thoroughly, his face a cross between panic and astonishment combined with disgust. He was staring as if he'd never encountered street food before. It was then that I became conscious of the fact that he probably never had.

Ever since he was a boy, he had been raised to withstand tension and carry burdens within one of the wealthiest and most traditional, as well as prudent and rigid, families in Konoha. It was doubtful that he had ever even had a chance to behold such cheap, chintzy, grease-laden, fried goodness. What was a commodity to just about everyone else could at times appear unfamiliar and even bizarre to his eyes.

I smirked, seeing Neji glance nervously at the cart vendor, who watched him warily.

"Three mitarashi-dango, please," I ordered.

"Hn," Neji said, seeming irritated. But his eyes lost their panicked look and I read that as a sign of relief.

We walked farther down the street, with Yuki munching happily on the second dango on his skewer. As I bit into mine, I noticed Neji had not yet touched his. He seemed to dread what would happen if he were to eat it, and at the same time it seemed as if he didn't exactly know _how_ to start eating it.

I stopped walking for a second and gave Baitu's leash to Yuki, who was still quietly content with his dango. Laughing, I approached Neji, who was awkwardly holding the skewer of dango at his side. I wrapped my hand around his fingers and led the skewer to his lips. Hesitantly, he bit into it.

For a moment, there was no telling if he was pleased or repulsed. He seemed to scrutinize the salty-sweet taste, chewing excessively. I began to worry as his countenance showed an unclear, nameless expression. In fact, I was about to apologize when he took a second bite. I grinned, knowing he had enjoyed it.

When we were halfway through the dango skewers, we reached a large throng of people blocking the street. They were watching some kind of play on one side of the street but I could only barely see what it was over the sea of people. Neji, however, could, and seemed intrigued by it as he bit into his last dango.

"What's going on?"

"Puppet show," he answered monotonously. Yuki, who couldn't see anything at all, started jumping up and down. I laughed.

"I wish I could put you on my shoulders," I said empathetically. He pouted.

"My daddy used to do that," he stated sulkily, his eyes downcast.

Suddenly, Neji sighed, finished his dango and crouched down in front of the child.

"Hn."

"Mister Neji? Can I go o-"

"Just get on," Neji answered curtly. Yuki climbed onto Neji's back, teeming with delight. I held Baitu, who seemed confused by Yuki's sudden disappearance from his level of vision on the ground.

As Yuki watched the puppets intently, I glanced at Neji, who seemed equally captivated by the childish show. He sensed my gaze and turned toward me before we shared a smile.

* * *

"Why were you so nice today?" I asked suspiciously. Neji quirked a brow at the criminating question. We were walking back toward our houses, with Baitu and Yuki leading.

"Hn."

"Seriously...why?" I asked with a conniving smile. He exhaled, aggravated.

"He reminds me of someone."

"Who?" I asked, slightly worried that he had intuitively deduced through Yuki's appearance that Kiba was his cousin. I watched as he narrowed his eyes, watching Yuki and Baitu in front of us.

"Me," he replied.

* * *

Around four, we reached the park again. The sun had not yet set, but its light was dimmed by the grayish clouds that suddenly filled the white void from before.

"Tenten, do we have to go for real?" Yuki whined. He stomped his foot when I laughed.

"Yep. We're supposed to be back by five."

Yuki nodded glumly. "Bye, Mister Neji."

I watched as Neji almost smiled, but somehow managed to stop himself. "Take care of Tenten," he said with a sarcastic smirk. I rolled my eyes and Yuki stuck his tongue out at him.

"Hn," the child said, obviously copying Neji. This time, Neji couldn't keep himself from smiling as Yuki hugged him and returned Baitu's leash.

Just then, small raindrops started falling. I quickly summoned Yuki to my side, using my coat as an umbrella to cover our heads.

"Bye!" I called before we started to run back to my house. The rain began falling harder and harder with each step we took away from the park. By the time we reached the porch, rainwater was running freely over the street. The sound of rain hitting more water instead of pavement urged us inside.

"Hey, welcome home, boss," Kiba greeted with a grin. Yuki ran excitedly to him, his eyes sparkling happily.

"Guess what! Tenten's not-boyfriend had a dog who understands puppet shows! But he doesn't like dango because he eats dog food..." Yuki raved. Kiba gave him a funny look.

"Tenten's not-boyfriend?" he asked, shooting me a weird look. I snorted.

"Long story," I said. Kiba laughed.

"Okay...anyway thanks," he said, drying Yuki's head with a towel. "I definitely owe you."

I grinned. "Hey, _he_ wasn't that bad actually. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you."

Yuki giggled when Kiba gave me a playful frown.

"Okay, well I'll be right back. I'm gonna take Yuki back home," he declared. I pointed toward the draped window.

"But it's raining like crazy."

He strided over to the window and peeked through the draperies before shaking his head.

"It stopped completely. It must've just been a passing storm."

* * *

Neji's POV

I watched as she turned and started running, using her coat to shield herself and the child from the heavy rain. For a minute or so as I watched her go, I forgot that it was raining where I was standing as well. My mind started to form ridiculous worries in which Tenten's coat would somehow dissolve, leaving her unprotected from the cold rain, and she would trip on a raindrop and fall in a puddle formed in an abyss of a pothole and drown in the frigid rainw-

"Arf!"

Baitu's whining snapped me away from my inane thoughts, and I realized that I was drenched. Baitu seemed to shake her soggy head at me in discerning amusement.

When the maid answered the door, she gasped. She was prattling on about something to do with towels or umbrellas, but I wasn't listening. Baitu shook herself nearly dry and trudged into the house. I followed quietly, leaving the ranting maid dumbfounded in the front hall.

Baitu led me into Hanabi's room, which had recently been painted a sunny yellow. She had insisted on the color, much to Hiashi's dismay, but he had dismissed it as one of her strange, teenage antics.

Hanabi was sitting cross-legged on her bed, painting her toenails a bright turquoise color. When she saw Baitu, she leapt from her bed, staggering awkwardly on her heels due to the wet paint. They basically tackled each other, with Baitu scrambling into her arms.

"Baitu!" she cried ecstatically. Her eyes suddenly fell on me and became large. She laughed. "Dang! What happened to _you_!"

I sighed. "Rain."

She giggled, staggering over to me, and played with my wet hair. "Hahaha! Our cousin Neji is so cute! Even when he's soaked to the bone! Isn't he Baitu?"

Baitu seemed to shake her head 'no' and Hanabi chuckled. She put Baitu down, and the dog promptly wagged its tail and left the room.

"How was the mission?" I asked. Hanabi nodded eagerly.

"Kick-ass. But I think there's something a bit more interesting than my mission going on these days, hmmmmm?" she sang implicitly. I stared at her blankly, nothing in particular coming to my mind. She slapped her palm against her forehead in exasperation.

"Ugh! YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED, GENIUS!" she hollered. I cringed.

"Hn."

She watched me suspiciously, driving me into a corner.

"I know something," she whispered. "You don't like that Rina-woman, do you?"

I blinked in shock and she leered.

"Ha! I knew it!" she exclaimed, bouncing toward her door on the other side of the room. She shut it before turning back to me. "What? You think I couldn't figure it out?"

"How _did_ you figure it out?" I asked. She snorted.

"That Rina...she's...hmmm...how should I put it nicely?" she pondered for a fraction of a second before grinning. "Just kidding! There is no nice way. She's a bitch."

I almost started laughing but caught myself just in time. Unfortunately, Hanabi noticed and smirked accusingly.

"Why do you always hold your laughter?" she asked. She wagged a finger at me in what I assume was supposed to look reprimanding. "That'll give you white hair in no time."

"Hanabi, it's very bold of you to suggest that I despise my bride," I stated harshly. "But you're absolutely right."

"Of course I am!" she asserted. "So WHY are you marrying her?"

"Actually I'm not the one who decided to."

"So cancel the wedding! I know you love someone else."

"I cannot just..._cancel_...a wedding that involves every clan elder, the hokage, and even the kazekage. And it's in _weeks_."

"Sweeeet. The kazekage's so smexy!" she exclaimed, before returning to a more serious tone. "Oops, sorry...But anyways you _do_ love someone else."

"Hn."

She giggled.

"I know you have a big, fat, embarassing, supposedly secret crush on Tenten-chan," she teased, using air quotes to emphasive the word "secret."

I sighed, regretting the day I had let her coax me into telling her.

"Lady Hanabi, please don't call it a cr-"

"Neji has a crush! Neji has a crush!" she sang. Although the door was closed, I felt like everyone in the world was listening. She laughed. "Neji, you're blushing."

"No I'm not."

"Look in the mirror then. I dare ya."

"I don't _blush_," I muttered. She pinched my cheek.

"I think you should tell her."

"Why the hell would I d-"

"Because if you don't you'll regret it forever and you know it."

I opened my mouth to retort when I realized she was actually right.

"Nii-chan, you should just man up and tell her. Even if you don't call off your wedding with that slimy Rina, you have to settle your feelings for Tenten. Geez, even a child would know that."

I found my reflection in her mirror and discovered I really was blushing. I looked at her. She was giving me a knowing look.

"It's not like I haven't tried. I just can't."

"What kind of guy are you! That's so immature-"

"She has a boyfriend."

She tilted her head curiously before her mouth came agape in mortification. "LEE!" she asked. "OH MY GOD that's just-"

"No! Not Lee. Hinata's old teammate."

She seemed pensive again before suddenly looking even more perturbed.

"HOLY CRAP! SHINO? WHAT HAPPEN-"

"No! Kiba!" I growled angrily. She paused.

"Actually...he's nice...and very cute...I don't see what's so wr..." she trailed off guiltily as she noticed my disdain. She grinned. "I mean...oops..."

"Hn."

"Okay, I see your point, maybe confessing your feelings isn't exactly the way to go anymore. Wow, you have it tough."

"Bye, Hanabi," I said, walking out the door. As I walked down the corridor, she called out to me.

"You should still tell her! She deserves to know!"

I went into my room, shutting the door a bit too loudly. My hand had slipped from the knob. It was only then that I remembered I was still wet.

* * *

Tenten's POV

I munched on the last bite of my sandwich as I waited for Kiba to come out of the shower. He had taken Yuki back to his aunt's home and returned wet because it had started raining again on his way back. While I waited, I noticed the unfamiliar ring on my right ring finger. I sighed shamefully.

It was beautiful, with a large, glittering, heart-shaped solitaire diamond sitting alone on the golden-pink halo. I took it off and examined the inside of the band. I held it toward the light to read the inscription:

~MEMENTO MEI~

WHEN THIS YOU SEE

REMEMBER ME

I felt a shudder go down my spine as I remembered the snowball fight earlier today...and the strange moment when he had drawn closer to me...almost as if he was about to...kiss...me...?

I shook the absurd thought out of my head and frowned at the hideously sentimental engravement. Mentally, I beat myself up for instantly thinking of Neji and entertaining such a preposterous idea.

Sighing, I put the ring back on. _At least I can't read that gushy poem while I'm wearing it..._

I was about to go check the refrigerator for milk when Kiba came out, shirtless and drying his hair with a towel. My eyes widened in horror.

"Hey, Tenten, we ran out of milk so I-"

"Gah!" I cried, trying to shield my eyes. "Put clothes on!"

"They're all wet or in the dryer," he explained, laughing in amusement at my obvious discomfort. "I didn't think it'd bother you so much."

"Well indecency bothers me a lot!"

"Why? Do I look indecent?"

I blinked, stopping to ask myself exactly why I found it offensive. _It's not like I should care_, I told myself. A strange voice smirked and sang in my head: _And it's not like he's bad to look at..._

I mentally pummeled the voice with imaginary pillows before furrowingmy brows at Kiba. He shrugged.

"Hey, it's not like I'm not wearing pants or anyth-"

"Fine," I said, sighing. "I'll just go back into my room until y-"

I started to scamper toward my room behind him, when I tripped on the leg of a kitchen stool. Before my mind could comprehend what was happening, I landed on something solid and slightly damp.

"Ow," I complained, although I knew from experience that whatever I had landed on was better than the hard floor. Someone chuckled darkly and I opened my eyes to see Kiba staring back at me, and I realized what had really broken my fall. We blinked at each other.

His arm had fallen over my back, and I had my hands against his chest. I quickly took them off of him.

"Yeah...sorry about that," I apologized as I began to get up, laughing nervously. "But I guess you already know me by n-"

I was cut off when he suddenly grabbed one of my hands and pulled me back sharply. I yelped a bit as I fell on him again. This time, I ended up inches from his face.

His arm fell onto the small of my back again, and I raised a brow suspisciously.

"Inuzuka, what do you think you're-"

I stopped when the nature of his stare suddenly intensified, and the familiar animalistic, feral look filled his chocolate eyes. But for some reason, something was different about this gaze, and it made me feel more nervous than scared. It was something stronger than the glowering or pouting in his eyes from before. He appeared to yearn for something, and his firece, feverish gaze seemed to scream for something resembling hunger, or thirst, perhaps a wish...

I blinked and was about to get off of him when I felt his grip tighten. My eyes became impossibly wider as I identified the mysterious component in his fixed stare and saw something, a type of desire, that I'd never seen in anyone's eyes until now. At least not in real life.

Lust?

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I know people are going to attack me for this chapter's ending XD.**

**But at ShinobiStar's request I added some KibaTen to a predominantly NejiTen chapter...which just shows that you NejiTen fangirls need to REVIEW! XD**

**Anyway...thank you for reading and I hope this chapter wasn't too boring and I hope people don't hate me for creating a personality for Hanabi/showing a soft side of Neji. **

**Remember to review...because even angry rants are welcome. :3**


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry about being so ridiculously late! I've been a bit preoccupied lately...and sorry for any aggravating mistakes/typos/errors I may have made in the past. I always try to fix them...well, usually. XD

Ugh :P I need to get me one of those editors...the "beta readers"...I think that's what you call them...?

I'm lame...but we both knew that already. :P Anyways...moving on...XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 12

_Recap:_

_Tenten's POV_

_I blinked and was about to get off of him when I felt his grip tighten. My eyes became impossibly wider as I identified the mysterious component in his fixed stare and saw something, a type of desire, that I'd never seen in anyone's eyes until now. At least not in real life._

_Lust?_

* * *

Our eyes locked and I began to stop struggling. It was futile to fight against his vice grip around my waist as well as the one that now wrapped snugly around my left forearm. My heart started pounding in a nervous flutter. I wasn't nearly as scared as I probably should have been, but rather, I was worried.

"Kiba?" I asked quietly, my gaze downcast to avoid his fiery stare. "Kiba, what are you doing?"

I gulped as I finally realized that I did not have full control over what could happen in the next moment. He blinked gradually, breaking out of his trance, and his eyes found mine. He slowly pulled me into the crook of his neck. I felt my heart start pounding in my throat, and I could feel him smirking through his voice.

"You're so clumsy," he whispered near my ear. "Be careful."

For a few seconds, I was rendered speechless. His grip loosened and I mustered some strength, anxiously pulling away to meet his eyes. The warm, friendly, chocolate-colored nature had returned. I blinked before quickly scurrying off of him. My mouth still refused to form words, so I stood motionless and silent, staring off into space. Kiba sat up and watched me with a bemused look.

"Tenten?"

When I didn't say anything, he got up and poked me curiously. Slowly, I turned to stare at him.

"Tenten, are you oka-"

"WHAT THE HELL!" I shouted. He seemed to be trying to hide a smug grin.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently. My mouth opened slightly in disbelief.

"You just-you...YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE ABOUT TO EAT ME!"

"Hey, now I can take the dog jokes, but randomly accusing people of cannibalism is-"

"We...You were about to...to...AGH!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. YOU fell on ME."

Unfortunately, he was right.

I glowered at him. He was smirking impishly, and I could sense the laughter he was holding in. My pride shriveled a little.

"Good night, Kiba," I declared curtly, walking toward my room. He laughed.

"Try not to trip this ti-"

_Slam!_ I shut the door before I could hear him finish. I exhaled quietly and leaned with my back against the door, waiting for my heart to stop racing.

What had just happened?

_Was it just me imagining things? Or had his eyes really been filled with..._

Suddenly, I remembered what had happened in the woods earlier today with Neji. I glanced at my hand and caught sight of his ring. It seemed to glow for a moment as I replayed the scene in my mind. His lips getting closer and closer, and still closer to mine...

I felt my face heat when I realized my eyes were closed and my back was not against a snowy tree, but I was leaning against my bedroom door. My eyes opened and I sighed in disappointment. I took the ring off and held it to the light, rereading the inscription:

~MEMENTO MEI~

WHEN THIS YOU SEE

REMEMBER ME

I sighed, closing my eyes again in defeat. _Unfortunately, Neji, that's the problem_, I thought. _I don't have to wear this ring to remember you._

_I'll always remember._

_Always._

* * *

A week later, I reluctantly found myself outside a movie theater, waiting for the ominous second date. It was snowing, but the sun was shining brightly, as if Mother Nature was mocking my own conflicting, almost paradoxical, feelings.

For some reason, I was wearing Neji's ring. It seemed to blush even more vividly against the unusual combination of blazing white snow and sunlight.

Judging by the nature of the last date with Jiraiya, I had a bad feeling that Ino had lied when she told me about the "blind" dates. In fact, I had a terrible hunch that all of the "blind" dates would turn out to be fairly familiar faces. Finally, I deduced that Ino had probably told all of them about me, but kept their identities a secret so I wouldn't be able to protest.

I took out my phone and glanced at the time. Whoever he was, he was almost half an hour late. I sighed in relief, realizing that he must have ditched me first. Relieved, I turned and was just about to leave when someone called me from behind.

"Tenten-san? Is that you? Sorry I'm late. I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."

I blinked nervously, pretending I hadn't heard, before trying to continue walking away. I had crept about two steps when the mysterious date suddenly leaped into the air, flipped over my head, and landed in front of me. I was about to kick him and run away when I recognized the masked figure. My mouth fell agape.

"WHAT? K...KAKA...I mean...Hatake-sensei!" I gasped in disbelief and horror. I vowed to hurt Ino the next time we met.

Kakashi's eyes smiled at me, and his masked mouth seemed to smile as well. I blinked in embarassment.

"Uh...hello...Hatake-sensei...What are you-"

"Hmmm...I can't believe I'm saying this...but Gai was right. You really have become very beautiful, Tenten..._chan_," he said, staring at me lazily. "It's okay if I call you that, right...Tenten-chan?"

I blinked. _Who knew Kakashi could be so...corny? Then again...he does read those weird books..._

I coughed, unsure as to whether or not I should be insulted by his compliment, and blanched slightly at his use of the corny honorific. He hadn't called me "Tenten-chan" since I was a genin. I forced myself to grin.

"Uh...yes, that's fine. But Hatake-se-"

"Hmmm...and what would you like to call me now?"

"Uh...What's wrong with 'Hatake-sensei?'" I suggested, trying to think of an excuse, any excuse, that would get me out of there while I still had the chance. He tilted his head casually, his sleepy eye peering down at me in a cool gaze.

"How about just 'Kakashi?'" he suggested. His voice was too nonchalant for my liking, and I found myself smiling stiffly.

"Uh...well wouldn't that be kind of inapp-"

"I insist, Tenten-chan. It's not like you're a student anymore," he said. He suddenly put his arm around my shoulders, causing me to squirm. "After all...you and I are both adults now."

* * *

Before I could begin to properly devise an escape plan, we were seated in the very back row of a movie theater, in front of a screen, and the lights in the room suddenly dimmed. I started to panic.

"Uh, Hata-I mean, Kakashi, I don't think this is going to-"

I was interrupted by a sudden blast of gawdy theme music. My attention snapped back to the screen in front of us. As soon as I saw the title appear, I felt my breath catch in my throat.

In large, provocatively red letters, the screen read:

_MAKE-OUT TACTICS: UNRATED EDITION_

The theater was now packed full, and any hope of escaping unnoticed dispersed before my worried eyes as the title sequence ended. A woman sporting two Chun-Li-style buns, one on each side of her head, appeared on the screen. She was wearing a bright red dress with a Mandarin collar and two long, racy slits on each side, revealing her bare legs. A tall, shirtless man in a mask followed her. His white hair looked silver under the moon in the scene's background. Suddenly, the male character ripped his mask off to reveal an attractive actor's face.

There were barely three lines of dialogue before the two characters began making out. For some reason, they looked curiously familiar, although I couldn't quite pinpoint who exactly they reminded me of. Nevertheless, they made me strangely uncomfortable. I turned my head away from the screen as the two figures began a pattern of making out, exchanging a few ambiguous lines of what I presumed were innuendos, and taking a quick breath before making out again. Unfortunately for me, I had whipped my head around toward Kakashi. He was staring at me with his single, somnolent eye.

Suddenly, his single, somnolent eye looked less somnolent. He leaned toward me, and my mind suddenly flashed back to the time Kiba had scared me by reaching for the popcorn bowl, and the more recent situation when Neji had pinned me against a tree.

As he came closer, he began to pull his mask off. I gulped and my eyes widened as I saw, for the first time, his nose, his cheeks, and finally, his lips. I blinked in awe. I had expected some kind of serious disfiguration, but instead, I found myself staring into the face of a ridiculously handsome man. He seemed to smile a little before he promptly began moving in again.

In a state of complete panic, I realized I was holding a large cup of popcorn in my lap. Before he could close the gap between us, I shoved the cup of popcorn in front of my face. Slowly, I peeked around my shield and saw Kakashi staring at me with a surprisingly amused countenance, as if he found my evasiveness entertaining. I managed to smile back a bit awkwardly, gently placing the oversized cup of popcorn on his lap. He continued to stare at me, so I ended up initiating conversation.

"Uh...do you like popcorn? I...I just thought I should share," I explained quietly. He raised a brow in knowing satisfaction, as if to acknowledge that he took some kind of perverse pleasure in my discomfort.

Suddenly, while still maintaining his direct gaze, he reached into the cup and slowly placed a puff of popcorn between his lips. I watched as he quickly slid the tip of his tongue over his upper lip. Then before I could finish blinking, his mask was back on.

* * *

The moment the movie ended, I briskly thanked Kakashi and sprinted out of the theater in under 20 seconds. He had insisted on walking me home, but I declined as politely as I possibly could before quickly getting the hell out of there.

I ran two blocks before I decided to take a shortcut through one of Konoha's park trails. As I ran through the narrow path under a beautiful canopy of snowy tree branches, my mind ran faster and faster beside me.

_WHAT had just happened?_

I really didn't even want to begin to fathom which date had been worse; it was bad for my state of mind, which was already nothing but chaos. Both the date with Kakashi and the one with Jiraiya had been awkward and...disturbing.

By now, my thoughts were running even faster than I was, and I lost track of my surroundings as I jogged through the trail. But my absent-mindedness was short-lived because at that moment, I crashed into someone coming from the opposite direction. We had both been running fairly fast, and the collision knocked me backward. I lost my balance and hit the snowy ground with a soft thud. The person I had run into was standing in front of me and I noted each detail I saw as I slowly panned my gaze up to his face. His feet were apart, his posture was straight enough to look stiff, his arms were folded across his taut chest, and long, dark locks of stray hair fell past his rigid shoulders. Neji was standing over me, and by now, a firm frown had formed on his bright lips. He pulled me up in a rather rough manner, silently tucking a wild lock of wavy, brown twine back behind my ear.

"Tenten, _why_ are you running through the woods? It's snowing and the trail is slip-"

"I...was just on my way back from...uh...never mind," I answered quietly. "Actually...I'm not really sure why I was running. But then again...I've been doing lots of things that don't make sense these past few weeks."

_Past few weeks? I've had a one-sided crush on you for about __**8 years**__...now THAT doesn't make a lot of sense either, does it?_

He looked away, his eyes slightly downcast. We didn't speak for a few moments. It was unbearable; it felt like there was something really important that needed to be addressed right away, and yet, both of us remained silent. Worst of all, my intuition kept whispering that time was running out. Whatever it was that needed to be spoken was nearing its deadline. I frowned and tugged on his sleeve. His lack of enthusiasm and blatant aversion of eye contact only added to the stuffy feeling.

"Well...why're you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be on a mission? And why were _you_ running, huh? Don't act like I was the only one runni-"

"I finished early," he muttered, still looking away. "And...I had a lot on my mind."

I blinked. He slowly turned to look at me, and I realized I was still tugging on his coat sleeve. I dropped my hand quickly.

"Oh...okay," I replied. I made myself smile. "Uh...well...I'll just be going home then. Don't run, okay? Bye, Ne-"

I was about to move past him and leave when he caught my hand. He was wearing leather gloves, but my hands were bare. He caught sight of the ring I was wearing. I immediately withdrew my hand from his warm grasp and stuffed it in my pocket.

"Oh...I...forgot to take it off, but-"

"Don't," he interrupted. "You'll misplace it somewhere and...I'll never see it again."

"Uh...right!" I agreed. "Yeah...you know me...always...forgetting things and-"

"Tenten?"

"Hm?"

"Are you busy right now?"

I panicked. _If I answer 'no,' he might think I just have no life and enjoy dawdling around in the woods like an idiot..._

"Uh...I...I have to go...I have to...fold my laundry."

He stared at me curiously, his eyes seemingly scrutinizing every guilty fidgeting motion I made. For a moment, we shared a strange knowing silence. I swallowed thickly as the laundry excuse rang in my own ears, sounding more and more stupid with each terrible echo. Suddenly, Neji laughed. I watched in awe and shock as he let out a low chuckle, his lips forming a refreshing grin.

"Hn. Really, Tenten? You're _really_ that busy?"

I paused for a moment to reflect on how I should answer. It seemed like a legitimate question, so I nodded earnestly.

"Yeah...I...I love folding laundry. It's kind of tedious, but...uh...you just...you just have to do it, you know? Wait...why do you want to know if I'm busy?"

"I was going to ask...perhaps, if you weren't so busy with your..._laundry_...if you had some time to help me with something."

I mentally face-palmed myself.

"Oh...you know what? I think...I think my laundry isn't that urgent...I mean...it's uh...laundry...just...laun..." I trailed off as he smirked. "Okay, just kidding. What do you need help with? Stop smirking!"

He didn't stop smirking.

"Tenten? What did you like...what did you want when you were 15?"

I felt my cheeks get warm when I realized the answer to his question was extremely ironic.

_I wanted...to be around you...and listen to your voice...and-_

"Well...I did like plastic nunchucks. They came in these pretty colors, and I had the pink ones, the blue ones, and the orange ones, but I really wanted these red ones with gold dra-"

"Never mind. What did the other _normal_ teenage girls want?"

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? That I'm not norm-"

"You weren't. You're still not."

"Hyuga. NEJI. I will whoop your-"

"When we were teenagers, you were far more impressive in terms of personality and integrity than just about any other girl I had ever met," he stated. His tone was indifferent, but what he said was making my heart beat erratically. I blinked to recover from the blank void that suddenly filled my brain.

"Uh...thanks...I...really didn't expect...didn't know that you thou-"

"You still are, Tenten."

This time, my heart started pounding in my throat and ears. A chorus of angelic voices started singing to try to express the immense rush of triumph that suddenly threatened to burst through my chest. Their heavenly voices sounded dull and flat compared to Neji's voice repeating in my head.

_You still are...Tenten..._

"Tenten? Tenten. Is something wrong?"

I shuddered a bit as all the voices faded, shaking them out of my head. "Uh...no...just had...one of those daydream moments...so...what does this have to do with me helping you?"

"Hanabi's birthday is coming up. But I don't...I don't know what to-"

"Hanabi...your cousin?" I asked. I couldn't help but grin. "She's so funny. Remember that time when she dyed part of your hair pink while you were aslee-"

"NEVER. Again."

I laughed. "So you _do_ remember!"

"Hn."

"I remember because it happened when I was having a sleepover at your house with Hinata. How old were we again? 13? 14?"

He sighed. "You were 17."

I tried with all my might to keep a straight face, but ultimately ended up laughing hysterically.

"SERIOUSLY? I did that to you when we were _17_?" I asked, still giggling. I managed to stop laughing for a second, but started chuckling again when I saw his face; he was pouting sulkily, just as he had on the night when Hinata, Hanabi, and I had snuck into his room at one in the morning with a can of hot pink, temporary hair dye.

"Unfortunately, yes," he confirmed in an exasperated tone. "And it seems your behavior still hasn't caught up to your age."

This time, it was my turn to pout. By now, we were walking on the trail again, toward my house. I folded my arms across my chest in defiance.

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed, pretending to be offended. "I'm turning 21 soon."

"So am I," he said dryly. "But by contrast, you don't see _me_ acting like a 12-year-old, do you?"

"Pfft," I spat stubbornly. "You just act really old and stuffy, but you're actually the most immature out of our entire class."

He raised a brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"See!" I exclaimed. "You always talk like that and pretend to be really sophisticated and cool because you're afraid of what people will think if you don't. Now that's a real sign of immaturity."

Suddenly, he stopped walking. I turned around to see him standing with his arms folded. A stern, scary look had overtaken his countenance, making me nervous. I was suddenly filled with fear that he would reprimand me and leave. _Maybe I was being too lighthearted with him...Ugh! Why am I such an idiot! How could I forget? This is NEJI! Neji HYUGA!_

"Tenten," he snapped harshly. I braced myself for a cold lecture.

"Neji...I'm sorry...I think I went too fa-"

"You really don't think I'm cool?"

I blinked for a few seconds. My mind struggled for a moment as it slowly processed what was going on.

_Is he...serious? Or is he being...funny? Of course he's not making a joke...but...is he...?_

I stared intently at his expression. He still looked stern, and his face showed no traces of humor. Without warning, I burst into laughter.

"Is this for real!" I asked. He tilted his head to the side, the same childish, pouty frown forming on his face.

"Tenten, it took me a significant amount of faith to verbally express that thought, and I'm disappointed that you wouldn't take me seriou-"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" I said, still chuckling. I cleared my throat to extinguish the unruly laughter. "Of course I think you're cool, Neji. You're...well, you're Neji Hyuga."

"Hn?" he asked, seeming to want more detail. We started walking again. I nudged him gently with my elbow.

"What do you mean, 'hn'?"

"I mean...Yes. I'm Neji Hyuga. And what does that have to do with your opinion of me?"

"You're...you're _Neji_ _Hyuga_. You know what that means. Everyone knows what that means."

"What...does it mean?"

I gave him a skeptical look. "It means that you're smart, good at everything, kind of stuffy, kind of arrogant, and a bit of a jerk...okay more than a bit of a jerk...and...really good-l...uh...never mind."

I checked to make sure he wasn't angry. To my surprise, he looked thoroughly entertained. He smirked. "'And really g...'?"

"It's nothing."

"Tenten. You can't just say ' it's nothing.' For all I know, you could have been about to say, 'grouchy' or 'grumpy.'"

I snorted. "Well, believe me, I could've, and I wouldn't exactly have been lying either."

"Well then, what _were_ you about to say?"

I shook my head, grinning. "Nope. I don't feel like saying it anymore."

He smirked again. "Was it 'great'?"

"Nope."

"'Good-mannered'?"

"Nope."

"'Good-natured'?"

"You wish."

He paused. I watched as his smirk grew into a sly leer.

"What?" I snapped. He closed his eyes, as if extremely amused.

"Am I really that good-looking?"

I froze. Blood rushed to my cheekbones and boiled in my ears. He swerved around to face me with one of the biggest, most know-it-all smirks I had ever seen him yield. He made absolutely no attempt to appear innocent. Instead, he approached me tauntingly, the snow crunching under his slow, jeering steps.

He stopped a few inches in front of me, before leaning forward, his lips near my burning ear. I stopped breathing and felt a sharp shiver shoot down my spine as he spoke.

"Was that the word, Tenten?" he whispered, the smirk evident in his tone. "'Good-looking'?"

...

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **

**I'm so sorry...it's been MONTHS...O.o**

**But anyways...thanks for reading...I read all the reviews since the last update, and thus, another NejiTen scene was born... XD**

**And I'm sorry if I didn't include something that was suggested...but that means you should review again! I love reviews/feedback and even angry, ranting flame complaints and hatemail inboxes...Now those are the cherished messages of support that keep me motivated and renewed with a new sense of creativity! XD**

**Just don't get too angry...I tried to incorporate Kakashi...but I've never used him before...and this is my first fanfic...so...sorry... XD**

**Also...I tried (?) to show how awkward it is for Neji and Tenten to reject the true nature of their "friendship"...**

**And finally, I tried to portray a lighter, more relaxed side of Neji that I was reminded of when I stumbled upon a story by ChrisChan-08. I thought it was adorable...XD**

**Once again, thank you for reading! I will try to update sooner...bye...:3**


	13. Chapter 13

I'm so sorry...to everyone who was waiting.

There's not a lot of romance/action in this chapter...but I tried my best...there's some humor/jealousy if you look closely...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 13

_Recap:_

_Tenten's POV_

_He stopped a few inches in front of me, before leaning forward, his lips near my burning ear. I stopped breathing and felt a sharp shiver shoot down my spine as he spoke._

_"Was that the word, Tenten?" he whispered, the smirk evident in his tone. "'Good-looking'?"_

* * *

I almost died.

"W-what the hell! No! That's...that's ridiculous! I didn't say..._that_."

Neji narrowed his eyes at me, making my throat parch.

"Do you find me attractive?"

This time, I really did die. I was amazed when I realized my eyes could bulge out as far as they did without leaving their sockets completely. Neji cleared his throat.

"Tenten, I...need to tell you this. I've been meaning to tell you that...I...I'm making a mistake. But before I can try to fix it, I need to know how you feel about m-"

"Hey, Neji-senpai! And Tenten? Is that you?"

Someone suddenly approached us on the trail.

_Is that...Konohamaru?_

His eyes went wide as he stopped in front of us. "Whoa! Tenten, what happened to you? You look super hotImean...you look...different..."

"Hey, kiddo!" I said with a smile.

I had heard that Neji was mentoring him along with a couple of other students, but Gai had explained that Neji was, as expected, awfully strict.

I poked the boy playfully. "I haven't seen you in years! Is Neji keeping you guys from having social lives? And I hate to say it...but you're all grown up now, aren't you?"

Konohamaru stuck his nose up in the air a bit and chuckled. "Yup. I'm practically as sophisticated as Naruto now."

I failed to contain my laughter as the bridge of Neji's nose scrunched up in an annoyed scowl. He frowned at Konohamaru, who suddenly stopped laughing and concentrated on the ground.

"Aren't you supposed to be training?" Neji asked sharply. "Your genjutsu will never improve if you keep slacking off in this mann-"

"Relax, senpai!" Konohamaru chirped. "You should let our team have more fun! If you keep being so serious, you'll get wrinkles!"

I laughed and ruffled the kid's hair. "That's what I always try to tell him. But, Kono-kun, why do you keep calling him, 'senpai'? Shouldn't you call him 'sensei'?"

Konohamaru blew raspberries playfully. "Bah! He's barely older than me! I'm almost a grown-up, you know!"

I smiled. "You should still call your mentor by his proper title of address. But I do admit that you really are almost grown-up now."

He grinned at me mischievously. "You know, Tenten, I might not be a grown-up yet, but I'm definitely old enough to have a girlfriend, so if you wanna hang out somet-"

"Go train. Now," Neji commanded. His voice was deeper than usual, and laced with traces of venom. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Give the kid a break, Neji. He probably just wanted to see you."

"Nah, having to see him everyday is bad enough," Konohamaru complained. "Actually, I'm here because Grandma Tsunade wanted me to tell you that you should go see her right now. I think she said you have a new mission or someth-"

"Yo, Kono! What's up?"

Another voice came from behind me and we all looked to see who it was. I raised a brow suspiciously.

"Kiba?" I asked. _What is he doing here?_

"Hey, Kiba-sensei!" Konohamaru greeted. Kiba grinned, pounding fists with the boy. His expression quickly turned grave when he noticed Neji glaring at him.

"Aren't you going to say hello, Hyuga?" Kiba asked. Neji just glared.

"Hn."

Konohamaru frowned and turned to me. "See! Why couldn't I have gotten a cool mentor like Kiba-sensei? Neji always makes us memorize scrolls and he says 'hn' too much and he has long, girly hai-"

I grinned sheepishly and covered his mouth before he could make Neji's mood turn any worse. Kiba and Neji stared each other down.

_What's gotten into them? _I thought, releasing Konohamaru. As soon as the thought passed through my mind, Kiba suddenly threw his arm around my shoulder, grinning shamelessly.

"Did you forget about dinner, my panda bear?" he cooed. "Well...it looks like it'll have to wait...since you have to go see Tsunade. Here, I'll go with you! Come on, Kono."

_Did he just call me his "panda bear"?_

I blinked, utterly confused. Before I could somehow put Kiba in a coma, Neji spoke.

"I need to talk to you, Tenten."

I bit my lip. "Okay...I'll see you later then, Neji. I have to go see Tsu-"

"No. I need to talk to you now."

Kiba turned back to Neji and folded his arms begrudgingly. "It was nice seeing you, Hyuga. But we're leaving."

"Stay out of it, Inuzuka. Tenten, come here. I'll walk you to the Hokage's building. We can take the long way."

They stepped dangerously close to each other, and I could feel their chakras swirling angrily around them, warming the winter air. I was about to just start toward the Hokage's office on my own when Konohamaru chimed in.

"Geez...what's the matter with you guys? Adults are so weird. Why don't we all just go? It's not like Tenten _needs_ someone to escort her to the Hokage tower, right?"

* * *

We walked in silence. Not even Konohamaru dared to speak. The air felt thick and muggy with the constricting tension between Neji and Kiba. When we finally entered Tsunade-sama's office, Shizune looked frightened and the Hokage raised a brow.

"Hello, Tenten," she greeted, before eyeing Neji and Kiba. "And...Tenten's posse? Inuzuka, Hyuga, what the hell are you here for?"

Konohamaru stuck his tongue out at her. "It's because they're grown-ups and they can do whatever they want, Grandma! You should know because you've been a grown up for probably 80 years!"

Tsunade scowled at Konohamaru. "Shut up, you little brat! I'll deal with you later. Now get your butt out of my office!"

Konohamaru grinned before leaving. Shizune glanced at Neji and Kiba before giving me a worried look. I smiled as naturally as I could manage.

"Uh...they were...bored, so they followed me. Yes...that's right. They were really...bored," I trailed off as Tsunade rolled her eyes at us.

"Never mind. I don't want to know," she muttered. "But Tenten, I have a mission for you. And I'm afraid you can't really object. You're basically the only jonin kunoichi who's not on a mission at the moment. It's an A rank, but I trust you'll be able to handle it."

"Finally! I've been wanting a jonin-level mission," I said eagerly. "I'm definitely ready for anything and everything."

"Your mission is to seduce a dangerous weapons dealer by using any means necessary."

_Okay...maybe I wasn't ready for **everything**..._

Before I could begin to protest, Kiba exploded first, shoving past me and slamming his palms onto the edge of Tsunade's desk.

"Who's going with her! I know Tenten's great with weapons, and I'm not saying she can't do it, but someone's got to make sure nothing happens to her! This sounds like a bit too much for a first-timer, don't you think? HOW would she even-"

"Inuzuka Kiba, if you don't get your paws off my desk, I'll put _you_ in a cocktail dress and send _you_ to seduce him instead."

Kiba cleared his throat and lowered his head in submission, taking a generous step away from both the desk and the powerful woman sitting behind it. Tsunade got up and went to her window, sighing and rubbing her temples. Neji approached her desk.

"Tsunade-sama," he addressed. "This is too...unsuitable for Tenten. The nature of the mission calls for-"

"Captain Hyuga, have you ever been seduced by a woman?"

Neji failed as he tried not to look shocked. "I don't understand what that has to do with..." he began, but stopped when Tsunade shot him a venomous look. He looked at the ground. "No. I have never allowed myself to submit to the temptations of a woman."

"And have you ever tried to seduce anyone?"

Neji looked mortified. "Why are you...No! No, of course not!" he snapped. "What does this have to do wi-"

"Then don't you dare try to inform me on the 'nature of the mission' because you don't know a damned thing about it."

It took all the maturity and self-control I had in my system to keep myself from laughing at the look on Neji's face. I glanced next to me and saw Kiba suffering as well, desperately trying to muffle a howl of wild laughter. Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Tenten. I wouldn't have called you here if I didn't have faith in you. I've heard from everyone else about your physical transformation, but now that I've seen you myself, I can proudly say that you could probably seduce a sage. I'd bet all the sake in my kitchen cupboard on that."

I looked away, uncomfortable, as she took a paper out of a manila folder. "And because of your newly-acquired attractiveness, you're going on this mission and that's final. Here's your target," she stated firmly, handing me the paper.

It was a photo of a stocky man with half of his face covered by a ridiculously curly mustache. I looked up from the paper and was about to try to get out of doing the mission, when Tsunade gave me a stern look. It was the kind of look that made you think twice about how much you value your life. She left the window and sat back in her seat.

"The mission is crucial to the safety of Konohagakure. We have less than minimal information about the weapons dealer, but we do know the following. He is a corrupt and hedonistic criminal who uses his illegal profits to live in luxury. We have heard from an outside source that he enjoys flirting with basically any pretty thing with a pulse. We have reason to believe that he will be in the Land of Coal in a few days to sell highly destructive weapons to an unidentified terrorist group that plans to target Konoha. Any questions?"

"So who's going to guard her? Don't you usually send two other people to infiltrate or guard?" Kiba asked.

"I'm afraid I'll have to send a couple chunin guards since we're short on jonin. In fact, you and Kakashi are the only ones left, and Kakashi leaves for an espionage mission tomorrow and you're escorting a duchess the day after that. All the jonin have been swamped with the recent flood of missions to the Land of Sugar. We need jonin guards, but I'm afraid the chunin ones will have to do."

"There's no way I'm missing this to escort some lady with three chins," Kiba said with a sly smile. Tsunade smirked.

"Actually, I was going to call you in right after briefing Tenten," she admitted. "And I was hoping you would say that."

"I'll go," Neji said. I turned to look at him. He took the photo of the dealer out of my hands. "This is obviously impossible for only two jonin to handle."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Neji. "Hyuga, you're off active duty for the next few weeks, remember? You're getting married."

I almost jumped a little when Neji suddenly drew in a sharp breath. "It's fine. I've always put my obligations before anything else. It would make me uncomfortable to choose any differently now."

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't, Neji. I understand that you want to protect your teammate, but your uncle expressed his wishes very explicitly. And in any other circumstance, I would completely disregard him and do whatever the hell I want, but for some reason, he's been acting so weird these days that it creeps me out. Slicking his hair back and eating those fattening snacks...I can't imagine how he'd react if I-"

All of a sudden, Neji went around the desk and dropped to his knees. Tsunade looked startled, and my eyes widened as he spoke.

"Please. This is the first time I've ever asked you for a boon. It's also the last. I'd just like to serve my village one last time as an unmarried man."

Tsunade winced for a moment, unable to fight Neji's solemnity. When Neji continued to kneel, she rolled her eyes in defeat. "Ugh! Fine! Just get up already! I swear, Captain, if you come back with even a slight _scratch_ on that pretty-boy face of yours and your bride-to-be has anything to say about it, I'll make sure the rest of your ANBU career is HELL. Got that?"

"Understood," Neji replied with a smirk, standing again. Tsunade clapped her hands together.

"Alright. It looks like we have a team. I don't know why you two boys decided to accompany Tenten over here and disrupt my briefing session, but it looks like things worked out for the better. Here's the rest of your information," she declared, handing me the manila folder. "You leave first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

We left the Hokage's office and walked outside. I sighed and turned to face my new guards.

"Okay, I'm grateful to have two experienced jonin to guard me on this mission and all, but WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! Especially you, Neji! She said you're supposed to be off active duty!"

Neji didn't respond. Kiba was frowning. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down as they started arguing.

"You should save yourself for what really matters to you, Hyuga," Kiba said. Neji stopped walking and glared at him.

"What are you trying to say? I think I have every right to join this mission. My involvement is even more justified than yours."

"_Your_ involvement should be with _your_ fiancee, not Tenten!" Kiba walked near Neji and whispered something to him. I couldn't hear what they were saying but they were hissing things to each other as they started walking again. They had gone a few feet when they turned and realized I hadn't moved. Neji walked back to where I was standing.

"Tenten, aren't you coming? I'm helping you prepare for tomorrow's departure. Come on."

"Nope," Kiba interrupted, approaching us. "I'll help her. After all, you don't live that close to us."

At that comment Neji seemed to boil over. He pushed the manila folder at me and turned away.

"I expect to see you both at the main gates. 5 am sharp."

With that, he vanished, not even staying long enough to hear me groan and whine about waking up too early.

Kiba and I walked back to my house in silence. When we reached the porch, he scoffed.

"What a jerk. How the heck is a guy like that getting married?" Kiba complained. He immediately cringed. "Sorry. I...that was insensitive. I didn't mean to remind-"

"It's okay," I answered flatly. "It's my fault for liking him so much. It's obvious he doesn't think I can handle this mission. Imagine how pathetic I probably seem to him. He even kneeled! UGH! It sucks enough that he doesn't like me as a woman, but can't he at least trust me as a fellow ninja!"

I locked the door behind me and went to the kitchen. The briefing had made me hungry, and I began digging around for food. Much to my dismay, there was nothing to eat that didn't require cooking. Kiba put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me out of the pantry.

"I'll cook. You just go and do...whatever it is girls do before going to seduce a bad guy. It'd be a shame if you detonated the entire kitchen and ended up in the hospital before you even started the mission."

I put my hands on my hips. "Hey. I did not _detonate _the kitchen! I just thought that microwaves can cook raw eggs t-"

"Okay, okay! Whatever you say. Just stay away while I work my culinary magic. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, boss."

I nodded and turned to go to my room.

"And Tenten?"

I turned back around. He smiled, his eyes filled with sincerity.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you. So don't you worry. Even for a second."

I blinked and stayed frozen for a while but he didn't say anything else. He put his frilly apron on and started to gather ingredients. I went into my room and closed the door. Frowning, I flopped onto my bed and stared at Neji's ring on my finger.

_I really wish I could stop worrying_, I thought. _Even for a second._

* * *

Neji's POV

I brushed past the gardeners in the yard as they stopped to bow. They simply went back to their work as I passed them; by now, they were accustomed to my lack of greetings. But for some reason today, I wanted to walk up to one of them and ask them. Why do you work for my uncle? Why do you work for a man who cares only for himself and capriciously decides on his own to force his nephew into wedlock with a downright awful woman who calls everyone-

"Darling!" a shrill voice screeched from behind me. I turned around and almost cursed out loud when I saw Rina at the end of the corridor. "Neji darling! When did you get here? I've been waiting for you!"

"When did _you_ get here?" I muttered. She smiled sweetly and ran her fingers over my shoulder.

"About ten minutes ago. And I've been so _lonely_ without you! Your housemaids are so _terribly_ incompetent and that _terribly _filthy dog tried to bite me..."

_Looks like Baitu likes her more than I do_, I thought, quietly tuning her out as she droned on about her "_terribly_" terrible ten minutes of waiting. Suddenly, someone interrupted her and I felt a surge of bliss when she stopped moving her mouth. That is, until I saw who it was that interrupted her.

"Neji, my nephew," Hiashi called from the other end of the corridor. "You're home."

Rina bowed quickly before latching herself back on to my arm. I just nodded. Uncle Hiashi licked his palm and slicked his hair back for what seemed like the 50,000th time that day.

"Hello, Rina, my beautious soon-to-be daughter-in-law. I'm afraid I have to take Neji away from you for a moment," he turned to me with a smug smile. "We must talk in private."

We walked to the outdoor courtyard at the center of the house. It was empty, and the sky was starting to darken above us. He pulled a bag of chips out from his pocket and paced the path in front of a rose bush.

"The Hokage has notified me of your choice to join a mission today."

I remained silent. He walked over to the rose bush, munching on his chips. "You can't avoid it, Neji. You can try to defy me until the very end, but the end will come."

"I won't defy you," I answered. "But I won't love Rina either."

To my surprise, Hiashi laughed. He threw his head back and ran a hand through his slicked hair. "What makes you so bold, Neji? Is it just in your nature? Or is it love that makes you rebellious? You have another girl...what is her name?"

"Her name is Tenten. And I would take her as a wife over Rina any day."

"Then why don't you?" he asked. The question caught me off guard. I could tell he was simpering self-satisfied, although he was still facing that rose bush, his back turned away from me. "Why didn't you marry her before, then? If you really loved her, then-"

"Because I was late. But why do you care? Why are you suddenly so interested in my-"

"Ah...so you finally realized that you have loved. Yet the lady in your heart has another in her own, isn't that right? How heart-breaking! Let me guess...you were the overly-serious, self-righteous prodigy...perhaps the vengeful workaholic type...never caring about anything but your branch complex..."

I raised a brow. Something was suspicious. "Why do you need to guess? You're the one who raised me since I was a boy."

He seemed to tense up for a moment before spinning around to face me. "Never mind," he snapped. "Anyways, I was just finalizing my conclusion as to why you have not decided to elope with your sweetheart. Ha! It's because she doesn't love you back! How pathet-ow!"

He stopped in the middle of his harangue. He had been gesticulating wildly with his hands, and one of the gestures had gotten his hand to sweep against the thorny bush behind him. He cursed under his breath.

"Stupid roses. I'll tell the gardeners to get rid of it first thing tomorrow morn-"

"You said you'd never get rid of it. You struck me when I was a boy for damaging a branch of it while sparring with Hinata."

He blinked. "Why would I do that?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Because you built this courtyard for your late wife and that was her favorite rose bush! You used to sit by that bush for hours after she passed awa-"

"I...I know that! Of course I know that!" he cried. He crumpled the empty bag of chips in his fist. "Get to bed. You have a mission tomorrow. And a wedding after that."

I glared at him before leaving the courtyard. Something was definitely strange about him these days.

As I headed to my own chambers, a maid approached me warily and informed me that my fiancee had left. I was relieved to the point that I thanked the maid and almost smiled. She hurried off, undoubtedly shaken by my uncharacteristic show of gratitude.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind was consumed with thoughts of Uncle Hiashi slicking his hair, Rina's screechy voice rotting against my ear, Tenten and Inuzuka sharing the same living space...

Fortunately, the torture only lasted several hours before I had to leave for the mission. I gathered what was needed and left the house silently, while it was still dark. As I reached the main gates, I finally closed my eyes. Images of Tenten started to seep into my thoughts. I revisited thousands of moments filled with both of us. She would smile and laugh and sometimes I would smile and laugh with her. I had gone on dangerous missions with her before. We had fought for each other and protected each other. But I vowed that this time, it would be different.

Before now, I had always protected her as my comrade or as my teammate.

This time, I would protect her as the woman I love.

_I promise I'll protect you. Even if it's the last time I'll be able to._

* * *

**Yay...look, I updated! *nervous laughter***

**...**

**Okay...before you decide to attack me and lock me in a closet with Rina, I just want to say that I am sorry.**

**That is all. I will not even ask you to review this time...I have failed to update...I admit it...:P**

**But seriously, if you want me to take your ideas into consideration, I've got to know what your ideas are. :3 And yes...I rushed this chapter and skipped my usual editing because I was already super late...**

**Thanks for reading (and for waiting an eternity to see this chapter). XD **


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter, like chapter 13 before it, contains less romantic mushy-gushiness. The mission seems like a filler, but it's actually supposed to speed up the plot development...

Anyways, I'm sorry if it disappoints...I guess it's only fair to warn you ahead of time. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

My Old Maid Keeps Dogs

By Vanilla Vader

Chapter 14

_Recap:_

_Neji's POV_

_Before now, I had always protected her as my comrade or as my teammate._

_This time, I would protect her as the woman I love._

_I promise I'll protect you. Even if it's the last time I'll be able to._

* * *

Tenten's POV

The moon was still out when we approached the main gates. Neji was leaning against a wall, his eyes closed peacefully. He looked like he was dreaming about something wonderful, and I found myself unable to wake him. I stared, trying to remember the last time he had looked so content and serene and in harmony with himself...

"Hey, Captain Hyuga! Wake up!" Kiba hollered. "We have a mission to start."

Neji was glaring before he even opened his eyes. They just stared at each other angrily for a moment, as if daring the other to say something first. I sighed.

"Yes, I understand how much you two hate each other's guts, but can we please get a move on? We have to get through the Land of Rain and enter the Land of Stone by tomorrow morning."

They both seemed to recoil a little, and silently began walking through the gates. I followed them almost reluctantly, my legs suddenly feeling significantly heavier.

_This is going to be a long trip..._

* * *

We leapt from tree-to-tree all day, only stopping once for a quick break. By early evening, we neared the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Stone. It had been raining ever since we entered the Land of Rain, and the sky stayed dark and cloudy from the storm. We traveled in silence, the only sound coming from occasional booms of thunder. I squinted my eyes to see through the rain and thick foliage. Neji and Kiba were practically racing each other at maximum speed, and they appeared as two dull blurs leaping trees about fifteen meters ahead of me.

My lips trembled against the cold air that whipped against my face. My bangs were dripping wet from the rain and my lungs felt cold from inhaling the damp, chilled air. I stayed in that state for another two or three hours, as nightfall arrived and we crossed the border.

Somehow, within ten minutes of crossing the border, the rain became a light sprinkle and the lightning and thunder ceased completely. After traveling a few more miles, the trees became taller and thicker. A footpath appeared below us, and we descended from the treetops to travel by foot. After a few minutes of walking, we were greeted by a beautiful pagoda. There was a temple behind it, and I pulled the manila folder out of my knapsack. Sure enough, the folder contained a pamphlet with a picture of the temple on its cover.

"According to Tsunade's sources, this temple will give food and temporary shelter to any travelers who pass it. But in exchange, travelers must follow the rules of the head priestess," I said after reading the pamphlet.

Neji walked over to the pagoda. A stone plaque decorated the bottom of the tower, and a lantern was hung from a post beside it. He read the inscription before turning to the lantern-post. A small, golden bell was tied to the neck of the post with a black ribbon. Kiba went over to where Neji was standing and studied the words on the plaque.

"Well," he said, reaching for the ribbon. "It says we should ring the bell if we're tired or hungry."

Neji brushed Kiba's hand away from the ribbon before activating his byakugan. After a few moments of silence, he deactivated it and furrowed his brow. "It could be a trap. My byakugan suggests that no one is living in this temple."

Kiba frowned. "Tenten just said there's a priestess. Maybe your byakugan's broken or someth-"

"My byakugan is not '_broken_'. Unlike your brain, my vision cannot be _broken, _you idio-"

"Don't start with me, Hyuga. At least my brain can breathe. Yours is probably suffocating under all that girlish hair on your scalp-"

"My hair is NOT 'girlish'! It's a traditional Hyuga-"

_Ding._

They both stopped quarreling and turned to me in shock as I rang the bell. I released the ribbon and let the bell sway back and forth, a rhythmic echo ringing through the misty air.

"See!" Kiba exclaimed. "Tenten agrees with me! If no one's living here, it just means it's an empty temple. You were just too chicken to ring the stupid bell."

"I was not _'chicken'_. I was just taking extra precautionary meas-"

"Welcome to Yakusugi Temple," a gravelly voice spoke from behind us. We all whipped around to see an elderly woman carrying a red paper lantern. Her eyes were faded and grey, and her long, silver hair fell down to her hips. She was clothed in the robes of a priestess, and my eyes widened when I realized the robes were completely dry. The light rain seemed to fall away from her and the paper lantern, as if the raindrops were repelled by the soft glow of light. Kiba smiled.

"Hi," he greeted. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka and this is Tenten Wei. The grumpy guy is Neji, and he thought your temple was abandoned and booby trapped, but I never doubted the bell for a second."

She chuckled a little. "I am Izanami, the head priestess. You must be cold and tired. Your clothes are wet, and you have traveled a great distance. You may take shelter in our temple tonight."

With that, she hobbled past us and into the temple. As the light radiating from her paper lantern passed us, I felt some of the moisture leave my clothes and skin. I ran my fingertips over my bangs. They were crisply dryed.

We followed her through the temple gates. She explained that the temple was structured like a target, with a shrine in the center like a bullseye, and concentric walls and buildings around it. When we entered the outermost ring, two masked women in similar robes came out of a room.

"Kiba, Neji," Izanami called. "Amaya and Azumi will carry your belongings to your respective rooms. It has been many years since our temple has had male visitors. I am afraid you may not pass the outermost buildings of the temple. The shrine and inner buildings are restricted to all mortal men."

Kiba looked confused and Neji looked suspicious.

"Wait...so only women live here?" Kiba asked, scratching the back of his head. Izanami nodded.

"Yes. But you may not see their faces. The priestesses residing in this temple must never reveal their faces to men."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Why? What happens if we see their fa-"

"It is best not to know what you cannot readily accept," Izanami answered. I tried my best not to look fazed by the eeriness of it all.

"So...where am _I_ allowed to go?" I asked.

"Your guest room is within the inner walls. It is much warmer there. I will show you to your room now."

Neji and Kiba followed the other two priestesses down a corridor and I followed Izanami through another gate, and another. I could feel the cold winter sting leaving the air with each step I took. I felt a little guilty about leaving Kiba and Neji in the cold outer-ring.

The inner walls were furnished with more red lanterns and paintings of women I decided were former head priestesses. Izanami stopped in front of a paper screen door. She slid it open and lit the candles inside before coming back to the doorway.

"This is your room. Dinner will be served in the outer dining halls. Shinka will come to accompany you there after you arrange your things and change out of your wet clothes."

I nodded and took a look at the room. It was surprisingly spacious, with a large futon sitting on tatami flooring. A simple folding panel depicting colorful peonies adorned the space. I turned back to Izanami.

"How will you know when I'm done arranging my st-" I stopped short when I realized she was gone. I shrugged. _I swear she was there just now...I could feel the warmth of her lantern..._

As soon as I had unpacked and changed into some dry clothes, someone knocked on the door. I went over to the screen and slid the door open. A little girl without a mask was standing outside. She was not dressed in robes. Instead, she wore pink pajamas and bunny slippers.

"Tenten-san?" she asked, smiling. "I'm Shinka."

"Uh...perfect timing," I said with a grin. She nodded cheerfully.

"I know. I'm psychic."

I raised a brow. "You don't look like a priestess."

"I'm not," she answered. "I just live in the temple. And you're not an ordinary person. You're a ninja. And so are your male friends. Kiba is your housekeeper and Neji is the man you've loved ever since-"

I stared at her wide-eyed. "H-how...did you know that!"

She giggled. "I told you. I'm psychic."

We entered the dining halls. Neji and Kiba were already seated at a long banquet table. The entire room was lit with hundreds of paper lanterns. Izanami was sitting at the head of the table at the far side of the room. Other masked priestesses were there, chatting quietly amongst themselves. I took the empty seat next to Neji and Kiba, and Shinka took a seat on the other side of Izanami.

"Daughters of Yakusugi," she said, her voice projecting powerfully through the entire room. "Before we begin dining, we must thank our guests for their company and the energy they have brought into our temple. We will show our hospitality by illuminating their fortunes. Shinka, would you like to perform this task?"

Shinka nodded eagerly and stood from her seat. She approached us with a sly smile. She stopped at Kiba.

"Palm, please," she instructed. Kiba gave us a confused look but offered his hand. Shinka traced her fingertips over his palm for barely a second before her face lit up. Her eyes glazed over and she went into a trance-like state.

"Kiba," she said. "In the near future, you will find yourself acting out someone else's role. It will not be a pleasant experience, but you will do it because it will protect someone you love. Beware of a woman whose face can be hidden without a mask."

Shinka moved down the line to Neji, who seemed reluctant to offer his hand. Shinka laughed.

"Neji," she said. "I can sense that you're a very private person. You are not one who can easily express himself. But congratulations on being in love, too. Unfortunately, there is a force that is working against your true emotions. It is growing stronger, and the only way to disperse this negative force is to find the imposter hiding within your own home. And don't forget...you are the only one who can change your destiny."

When Shinka approached me, I held out my hand, but she shook her head.

"I already know yours. You are standing before a single path. You can only choose one path, and there is only one you truly wish to take. But for some reason, you still find it hard to choose. If you don't want to take the only path forward, I guess your heart is telling you to go backward...down the path you have already been."

I blinked dazedly before leaning toward Shinka and whispering. "I thought you said you were psychic!"

She just giggled before returning to her seat. Izanami smiled.

"Now, we feast," she declared, raising a glass. "Here's to our guests, Neji, Kiba, and Tenten."

* * *

After eating some of the most delicious food I had ever tasted, I was escorted back to my room by Shinka. As we walked down the hall, I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, Shinka? Why are you living in the temple? Is your mother a priestess?" She shook her head, making her pigtails swish around.

"Nope. Madame Izanami found me at the base of the pagoda when I was a baby."

"Oh..." I managed to say. I felt bad for asking her about something that turned out to be rather personal. "So...are all the priestesses psychic?"

"Nope," she replied, playing with her hair. "Madame Izanami and I are the only ones. But _I_ can also feel what other people are feeling."

"What do you mean?"

We arrived at my door and she slid it open, stepping inside. She plopped onto the floor and closed her eyes, humming in meditation.

"What are you do-"

"Shhhh," she whispered. "When I concentrate...I can feel people's emotions."

For a moment, she meditated, and I stood there, watching curiously. Suddenly, she shot up and started jumping up and down.

"Kiba and Neji are sleeping already! I saw their dreams!" she sang. I laughed as she started dancing around the room.

"And what were they dreaming about?"

"You."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"You are in both of their dreams tonight. You have very loyal friends."

"Uh...yeah, I guess. Except one's an ice cube who'll never know how I feel about him and the other just loves to tease me about every aspect of my being. Yeah...they're the best."

Shinka finished her dance and smiled at me. "I think you're also unaware about how people really feel about you, Tenten. But you'll know soon."

She started dancing again, this time to the door. She pointed toward the open window. I turned my gaze to where she was pointing and saw a gigantic, orange full moon, possibly the biggest moon I had ever seen. "Nighty-night, Tenten. You have very beautiful feelings."

"Uh...thanks...I've never heard anyone compliment my feelings befo-"

I turned away from the window and back to where I thought Shinka was standing, but she had disappeared. I scratched my head. _Do they all just randomly vanish like that?_

* * *

The next morning, we had rice cakes for breakfast. As we left, the priestesses came out to the pagoda to say goodbye. I hugged Shinka.

"Bye, Tenten!" she shouted. "Remember...there's only one path!" I grinned and waved. Neji and Kiba bowed.

"Thank you for your hospitality. We are grateful," Neji thanked. Kiba ruffled Shinka's hair.

"Bye, Shinka," he said, grinning. "Thanks for my fortune."

Shinka smiled sweetly. "You're a nice male visitor. You'll be a good daddy someday."

Izanami handed me a bell on a black ribbon. "Take this with you. It will bring you luck on your journey. Ring it when you're in danger."

We all waved bye one last time before continuing into the forest. Neji took out a map and started to lead, while Kiba and I trailed a few feet behind him.

"It was kind of creepy at first...but they were nice," Kiba said. I tied the ribbon and bell around one of my kunai knives.

"I have no idea what the fortune-telling was about, though." I finished tying the ribbon and tucked the knife back into its pouch. "I guess she meant there's only one path into that forest over there."

"Yeah...and she told me I should beware of a woman who hides her face without a mask. What do you think that means?"

I laughed. "Maybe she meant a bearded lady...like in the circus."

Kiba snorted. "Now that's not something you read in your everyday fortune cookie."

* * *

For another day, we leapt through forests and walked through meadows. By the time the sun was setting, we had reached the Land of Coal. The green landscapes abruptly morphed into vast urban slums and dark alleyways. Enormous pipes spurted clouds of fumes and smoke that blocked the sun from the sky. Children ran through the streets without shoes and old men lay on the sidewalk under newpapers.

"We've entered a rather run-down area of the Land of Coal," Neji explained. "But it's definitely not one of the worst."

I took out the manila folder and skimmed through the information about the Land of Coal. All I knew about it was that it was where Neji's fiancee was from.

_A Concise History of the Land of Coal_

_The Land of Coal was once a great kingdom protected by its two powerful shinobi neighbors, the Wind and the Earth._

_The land fell to ruin recently after constant political unrest. The last king was overthrown by rebels who eventually became feudal lords._

_99% of people in the Land of Coal live in poverty, although the remaining 1% are extremely wealthy from the country's abundant coal reserves._

I stopped reading. It was getting dark, so we stopped in front of a hotel. Some of the windows had boards nailed over them and a wild tangle of moldy vines was clinging to the corroded siding. Neji frowned.

"It looks like we'll have to set up base in this hotel," he stated. "There's a hot spring in the back, and it looks like one of the safer buildings in this town. It's probably not as bad as it looks."

It was much worse than it looked.

When we entered the inn, a drunken man mistook Neji for his wife and tried to drag him across the lobby. Luckily, the man's real wife came just in time to save him from Neji's gentle fist technique. We watched in awe as the couple walked away, the wife nagging the filthy man about drinking all of her liquor.

The carcass of some small, woodland animal was decomposing in a corner of the lobby, next to a telephone booth. The telephone wire had been cut. Flies swarmed around the animal, and a little boy with a fishing net giggled as he tried to catch the bugs.

"Look Ko-chan!" the boy cried. "It's dinner!" The little girl next to him giggled, tugging on some rubber gloves. She began dragging the carcass across the lobby floor and out of the hotel.

I felt my eye twitch. Kiba was wide-eyed. Even Neji looked shaken.

"Guys," I whispered. "Are you sure we should-"

"Hello!" a man greeted us. "Welcome to the Chartown Inn!"

He led us to the front desk. "I'm afraid we only have one room left."

"Uh...that's not going to work. We have a girl here, you know," Kiba said. The man stared into his computer screen. A rat crawled over the keyboard. The man smiled, not seeming to notice.

"Well...we do have a honeymoon suite available," he suggested. "If two of you are willing to share a room, that is."

Neji sighed. "I guess Tenten and I can share a room. We've had to share a room on missions in the past."

Before I could remind Neji that that "room" we shared was a tent, and with Gai and Lee in it as well, Kiba scoffed. "Yeah right, Hyuga! You think I'm gonna let you corrupt Tenten! In your dreams."

"I've been teammates with Tenten much longer than you, Inuzuka. And what do you mean 'corrupt'! I'd never-"

"I'm rooming with Tenten. You can't be trusted."

"_You_ can't be trusted. I-"

"Have you forgotten about the relationship between me and Tenten? We've been on a date already. Mind your own, Hyuga!"

I raised a brow. "What are you guys talk-"

"Let Tenten choose for herself then," Neji demanded. Kiba and Neji both glared at me.

"Tenten, who do you want to room with!" they asked in unison. I blinked.

"Uh...I...wait, why do I have to choo-"

"How about the lovely lady takes her own room and you _chivalrous_ gentlemen share the honeymoon suite?" suggested the man behind the counter.

Neji and Kiba just stared at him.

* * *

I watched as Neji and Kiba trudged away toward their room. I gathered my stuff and thanked the man behind the counter before going to my own room on the other side of the hotel. I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of Neji and Kiba sharing a room, let alone a honeymoon suite.

_I just hope they don't kill each other overnight_, I thought as I grabbed a towel and headed for the hotel's hot spring.

I settled into the warm water of the hot spring and tried to relax. I was finally alone, but something was still bothering me. My mind kept returning to Neji and Kiba's earlier argument.

_"You can't be trusted. I-"_

_"Have you forgotten about the relationship between me and Tenten? We've been on a date already. Mind your own, Hyuga!"_

What did he mean? Neji probably thinks we're dating...but was Kiba trying to imply to Neji that we live together? Or...

...does Neji somehow already know?

I had been sitting completely immersed in the water, and when the thought occured to me, I forgot where I was and inhaled sharply, making myself burst through the surface of the pool, choking and sputtering.

_No_, I thought. _That's ridiculous. There's no way he could know..._

It was true that Neji usually found out about things I tried to hide from him. One way or another, he'd figure out, either by intuition or subtle investigation. Sometimes, I found myself wondering if he could read minds.

_But if he could read my mind...he would know how I felt about him. And he never knows about that..._

_...he probably doesn't care about how I feel about him. It couldn't matter less to him..._

With that in mind, I dismissed the idea of Neji knowing about my housekeeper. Sighing, I forced myself to sink back into the tepid water. My hand rose out of the pool and dug around in my knapsack, which sat beside the pool's edge. I took the manila folder out and reviewed the mission objective.

_Okay...so there's a party that the bad guy is hosting...we sneak in before the terrorists get there, find the bad guy, seduce the bad guy into revealing the location of the weapons, and confiscate/destroy the weapons. And if it's possible...we should identify the terrorists who should've received the weapons..._

_Sounds simple enough..._

I yawned and put the manila folder away again. _Time for a nap..._

* * *

Kiba's POV

_Why does the honeymoon suite have to be on the highest floor?_ I thought as I entered the elevator with Neji. We rode past the first floor in silence.

Suddenly, Hyuga cleared his throat.

"What did you mean back there...when you mentioned 'the relationship between you and Tenten?'"

"I told you. We live together. You know what that means."

"What does it mean?"

"It means we're very intimate."

In the corner of my eye, I watched as his countenance gave in to emotion. His face seemed to flush with anger, and his knuckles gripped the elevator rail harder, making his knuckles turn white.

"_Don't_...use that word. It sounds vile."

"What word?" I asked innocently. He glared at me for the umpteenth time that day.

"I don't want to hear you talking about intimacy, especially when you're also talking about Tenten."

"Why? You're gonna be a married man soon. What does it matter to you whether or not I'm intimate with _my_ girl?"

"That's a lie. I can tell. You might live together, but I know Tenten. It's only been _weeks_ since that first date you had, and Tenten's not like that. She respects herself and she definitely wouldn't sleep with some man she barely-"

"First date or no date, I feel like I've known her all my life...and she says she feels that way too. You have no right to decide whether or not she's allowed to be _intimate_ because it's her choice. Besides, I treat her way better than you ever did. Does that make you upset, Hyuga? Good. Go cry about it to your bitchy little fiancee because Tenten doesn't care anym-"

I stopped talking only because the wind was knocked out of me when he suddenly slammed me against the elevator wall. I hit the railing behind me, and I winced as it jabbed into my back. Before he could do anything else, I shoved him off and tackled him onto the floor.

As we wrestled around trying to inflict as much bodily harm on each other as possible, I accidentally ripped his shirt down the front, revealing the skin from his collarbone to his navel. He took notice of the rip and glared, flipping me over and pinning me to the floor. He raised his fist to land a blow but I threw him off just in time. I lunged at him, grabbing his hips and throwing him against the floor. I got on top of him and pinned him there by pressing my hands against his chest, my fingers tangling in his undone hair. He grabbed my shoulders to push me off.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. We heard gasps.

A group of hotel cleaning maids was staring at us with huge eyes and open mouths. One of them blushed and covered her eyes with her hands, but continued to peek at us through her parted fingers. The head maid grunted and turned her gaze away from us, also blushing rather visibly.

"_Puh-lease_. Get a _room_, gentlemen! This is _not _the proper setting for...for hanky panky!" she spat as she and the other maids filed into the elevator.

At first, I didn't understand what she meant. I blinked and glanced at Neji, who looked equally confused. I looked down and saw how we were positioned. Suddenly, it all clicked together. I instantly got off of him, revealing his exposed chest and torso. Some of the maids squealed and pretended to faint.

Neji got up and found himself surrounded by a bunch of drooling, horny maids. He glared at them before backing away into a far corner of the elevator. I cleared my throat.

"We're not...it's not what it looks like," I explained. "We...we were _fighting_! And his shirt got ripp-"

"Hey, look. I'm not judging you," the head maid assured. "I understand that you are men...and you have your...urges...and that's okay. Just get a room next ti-"

"I assure you...that was **NOT** what happened," Neji said through gritted teeth. The maids were starting to surround him in his corner of the elevator. The head maid wagged her feather duster at us knowingly.

"Suuure, suuuure," she answered, giving us a skeptical look. "Whatever you say. Just make sure you don't get caught next time."

"There won't BE a NEXT TIME because WE WERE JUST FIGHT-"

Before I could finish, the elevator door opened and all of the maids left. The doors closed again and for a moment, we were both silent. I turned to Neji, who was glaring at the pieces of paper he was choking in his fist. Some of the maids had given him their phone numbers. He glared evilly at the pieces of paper for another second before glaring at me. He opened his fist and separated a small, pink sticky note from the rest of the scraps.

"This one's for you," he muttered sarcastically as he roughly shoved my shoulder, attaching the sticky note to my shirt. I tore it off and returned his glare.

"We never speak of this. Ever."

He nodded gravely. "I agree. It never happened."

As he nodded, we reached the top floor and the elevator doors opened again. We exchanged one more glare before stepping off the elevator and heading to our room.

When we were finally in the room, I tried to calm myself. He was so infuriating. Suddenly, he stormed over to me and slammed his hand against a coffee table.

"Don't lie, Inuzuka. What's really going on between you and Tenten?" He gave me a suspicious look. His pale eyes were glaring through me, like he was trying to read my mind. "You bastard. You're just playing with her, aren't you?"

"Why does it bother you that I actually like her? Are you going to do something about it?"

"Yes. If you're just using her, I'll kick your sorry ass."

"I doubt that. And I'm not using her!" I snapped. He was looking crazed now. Anger, hatred, and jealousy all evident in his Hyuga eyes.

Suddenly, I thought of Ino. My role in her plan was to make Neji as jealous as possible. I pushed past him and toward the window. "Let's say I _am _using her. Let's say I'm just using her for a place to sleep. Why do you care? Aren't you getting hitched soon?"

"No. If she'd only give me another chance," he trailed off flatly. "If it's for Tenten...I would never get married. I'd wait for her no matter how long it takes."

I took a deep breath. "I don't love her," I lied. "I'm just using her."

I tried to sound convincing, but I couldn't say it while looking into those pale eyes, so I just stared out the window. My thoughts started arguing with Ino's intentions.

_Why am I doing this? Do I really want Neji to call off his wedding and take Tenten away?_

**_No, but that's what would make Tenten happy...so it's the right thing to do._**

_I can make Tenten happy..._

**_She doesn't love you..._**

_Does she?_

Neji was still standing there, staring at me with his arms folded across his chest. Suddenly, he came over to the window. He wasn't glaring anymore. His fingertips touched the glass, as if tracing his reflection. Suddenly, his hand dropped away and his features twisted into an expression of self-repugnance.

"I thought she'd always be waiting for me." His voice was barely above a whisper, and for once, it held emotion; I could hear the hurt in his words. "But it looks like I...was wrong."

He was gazing _through _the window this time, and not at his reflection. It looked like he was watching the dark fumes being released into the sky from the building across from us. I gave him an annoyed look.

"Of course you were wrong. You figured that out now? You dumbass, I thought you're supposed to be a genius."

He just continued to stare out at the grayish smoke billowing out from the chimney tops. Minutes passed, but we just stood there, silent and submersed in our own thoughts.

Suddenly, he turned away from the window and went over to where his bags were.

"It's time for me to fix this. I have to go tell her," he said, taking out another shirt and changing out of the torn one. "You don't love her. So don't try to stop me." He started walking towards the door.

At that moment, I knew what was right and what was selfish. I could almost hear Ino's voice echoing in my head.

_We're about to help her and Neji! You can't have those kinds of feelings for her!_

I bit my lip. I knew I should let him tell her. The sooner the better.

_Tenten would be happy and Neji would call off his wedding, _I thought.

_But then I would leave Tenten's house..._

_...and everything would change._

_I might not even see her again..._

As Neji pulled the door open, I dashed across the room and slammed it shut. He raised his brow at me, keeping his hand on the doorknob.

"What do you want? You said you were just using her for your own selfish agend-"

"Don't do it now. We're on a mission. She's probably really stressed out. A woman doesn't want to hear a confession at times like this. She wants to hear it when she's alone with her knight in shining armor. Maybe under the moonlight or surrounded by rose petals or some sappy thing like that."

Neji shook his head. "I have to tell her now. I've already taken too long. And why do you care about her? You just said you've been using her."

"I did say that. Look, I know this makes it worse...but she's still my friend," I said, looking away so he couldn't tell I was lying through my teeth. "Tenten's gonna have to seduce some dangerous guy affiliated with terrorists and weapons tomorrow. If you profess your feelings for her right now, it might make it harder for her. It's putting her in danger."

Neji glared at me. "Why are you trying to help?"

"I just needed a place to stay. I never actually wanted her to get hurt."

He stared at me furiously. "You should've thought about that before you used her."

He hit me in the stomach, but the impact itself didn't cause much pain. The blow was more of a soft tap than a punch, and I wondered what was going on. Then I felt something start to wrench in my belly and I realized what he had done.

_Did he use...gentle fist?_

After about a second of uncertainty, I had my answer when I found myself doubling over, coughing. Warm blood sputtered from my lips and onto my chin. I felt like my stomach was caving in on itself, but decided not to say anything as I wiped the blood away with my sleeve. Without a sound, I stood and looked him square in the eye.

"You're right," I said. Inside, I was dying. Partly because I felt like throwing up from all the raw chakra bleeding inside of me, but mostly because I hated the fact that I had to lie. None of it was true. If anything, the lurching pain in my stomach made me realize something.

I knew I liked Tenten. I had admitted it before. But the revelation of how much I actually cared for her was something completely new. I wanted to tell her this, because she was so blissfully unaware. Part of me wanted to find her myself and bring her to Neji so they could live happily ever after.

But that was just a part of me. The other part wanted to keep her from knowing. I wanted to keep her away from Neji until she could forget. It was selfish and I felt guilty, but I couldn't help it. I wanted her for myself.

I forced myself to keep standing. "You're right, okay? So you can take her. I don't care. But not today...because now's not the time. It could get her in trouble."

Neji kept his eyes on me as he let go of the doorknob. I couldn't guess what he was thinking, but he watched me with a brutal intensity.

"Fine. But I'm telling her as soon as we're back in Konoha. And if you try to stop me again," he said, gesturing to the blood on my shirtsleeve. "You'll lose a lot more of that."

I just stood there silently, wanting so desperately to strangle him. He didn't smirk, but something about his face was still undeniably smug. I could feel his hostility toward me decreasing. It was as if he had only found me threatening when he thought I had feelings for Tenten, and that made my fists ball up and shake with anger.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, leaving the room. He watched me from the doorway with that same vaguely smug expression.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going near her."

I turned and left. I passed the elevators and took the stairs instead. Gritting my teeth, I walked past a newlywed couple and staggered through the door leading to the stairs. When I was sure no one else was in the stairwell, I finally allowed myself to hunch over, clutching my stomach. I made it down one flight of stairs before I was out of breath, panting and coughing.

I gripped the stair railing and sat on a stairstep. By now, the blood on my shirtsleeve had dried. I winced when I felt more blood at the back of my throat, forcing myself to swallow it. When I stayed perfectly still I could almost feel my chakra and blood spilling out and pooling around my bruised insides.

"I hope...I won't...die yet," I whispered to myself between short, shallow breaths. "I have...to tell...Tenten...I'm sorry for...what I just did."

I groaned, more blood threatening to trickle out of my mouth. But I knew I wouldn't die. Neji wasn't as impulsive as I was; he obviously hit the point that would be most agonizing without being fatal. Despite the blood dribbling down my jaw and the excruciating pain in my gut, I grinned.

"Heh...where's...Ino...when you need her? I could...really use a medical-ninja...right now..."

* * *

Ino's POV

"Thank you! Come again!" I said, smiling as the customers left with their flowers.

"Well," I said to myself. "I think they were the last ones. Time to close the shop."

I had just come back from a mission yesterday afternoon. I was tired, but since no one else was home today, I was forced to run the family flower shop alone. Normally, such a day would have put me in a grouchy mood, but for some reason, I was smiling and humming. In fact, I had been that way for about a week now. It was as if nothing could affect me. I felt cheerful all the time, and for absolutely no reason at all.

I had been alone behind a counter for most of the day, so just about everyone who had come in had only seen me from the waist up. As I walked out from behind the counter, I couldn't help but glance down. I was wearing Kiba's shoes, which looked oddly out-of-place on my normally trendy feet. I knew it must have looked hideously unfashionable, but I smiled happily as I twirled around the room, putting things back on shelves and cleaning up pieces of flower stems.

After flipping the "open" sign around to read "closed," I locked the shop door and turned to walk down the street. Before I could, I went back into the shop. Although I was feeling carefree enough to wear men's shoes in the privacy of the flower shop, I wasn't feeling loopy enough to wear them in full public view. I placed Kiba's shoes in a cardboard box and slipped on some cute, super-chic, heeled boots I had kept stashed in the back of the shop for emergencies. With the cardboard box tucked carefully under my arm, I locked up once again and headed home.

When I got home, the humming escalated into singing and more twirling. I was suddenly really glad I was home alone. With a goofy smile on my face, I twirled all the way upstairs into my room and allowed myself to fall backwards onto my bed. After belting the last note of my song, I sat up and opened the cardboard box.

His shoes were rather worn and old. I scrunched my nose up at the ugliness of it all. As I admired the shoes, I let my mind wander.

_I wonder how he's doing right now...I hope he's safe. And I hope Tenten's safe, too..._

_He better not be wavering...he's supposed to be helping Neji and Tenten end up together..._

Suddenly, some of the happy-go-lucky spirit I had been cherishing throughout the day began to evaporate. I bit my lip in concern._ What if he snaps and tries to break them up instead...Would he do that? Does he..._

_...does he like Tenten enough to do that?_

I sighed in frustration. _He's not __**supposed **__to like her...that's not part of the plan..._

I ran my fingers over the shoes, taking in the rough texture. As my fingers brushed against the tough material, I suddenly felt something lurch in my stomach.

"Oof," I grunted. I instinctively dropped the shoes to put my hands against my abdomen. I watched as they fell to the beige carpet and laid motionless on the floor. An uncanny tremor ran down my spine and for some reason, I imagined Kiba for a second, lying alone somewhere, looking as lifeless as his shoes on my carpet. Something intuitive in the back of my mind told me the mysterious sensation that had just passed through my stomach meant something. I closed my eyes to focus on it.

_This feeling...it can't be for real. That's silly...my stomach's probably just trying to tell me that I'm hungry..._

I sighed dismissively before getting off my bed and picking his shoes up from the floor. I went downstairs and began heating some leftovers.

_Good luck, Tenten._

_But let's just hope you won't need any..._

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**

**Yes, yes...I ****_know_**** it was boring and there wasn't a lot of mushy-gushy, romantic froth-fluff in this chapter...please rant about it in the form of harsh, flaming reviews. :3**

**And please feel free to make suggestions for what should happen next...I always try to use all of your ideas, or as many as I can.**

**Anyways, thanks. I'll try to update again within a fairly reasonable time frame. XD**


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